SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
Once we mastered the quick and easy route to making duck leg confit, I began featuring the chunky duck shreds in a number of stir-frys—nowhere, with greater success than in this dish of egg noodles and winter vegetables in a fresh orange sauce.
AROMATICS:
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
¼ cup thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
2 teaspoons finely minced orange zest
¾ teaspoon China Moon Chili-Orange Oil (page 15)
1½ teaspoons “goop” from Chili-Orange Oil
2 cups Duck Infusion with Szechwan Peppercorns (page 74), China Moon Infusion (page 72), or unsalted duck or chicken stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 small carrot, thickly julienned
½ pound fresh fettuccine noodles
1½ teaspoons China Moon Chili-Orange Oil
3 to 4 tablespoons corn or peanut oil, for stir-frying
½ red onion, cut into ¼-inch wedges
½ red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch strips, or ¼ pound yellow wax beans, tipped and cut into finger-lengths
½ small bulb fennel, cored and cut crosswise into arcs 1/16 inch thin
2 inner ribs celery, cut diagonally into commas ⅛ inch thick
3 ounces Chinese celery cabbage or baby bok choy, leaves left whole and stems cut into ½-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 ounces fresh Chinese mustard stems, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices, optional (⅓ cup)
4 fresh water chestnuts, cut into coins
Chunky shreds of Chinese-Style Duck Confit (page 170)
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1½ tablespoons cold stock or water
Diagonally sliced green and white scallion rings, for garnish
1. Combine the aromatics in a small dish; cover until ready to use.
2. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
3. Blanch the carrots in boiling water to cover for 15 seconds. Refresh in ice water to chill, then drain. Blanch the yellow wax beans for 1 minute. Plunge into ice water; drain.
4. Fluff the noodles in a colander to separate and untangle the strands. Bring a generous amount of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles, swish gently with chopsticks, and cook until the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Plunge into ice water to chill, then drain well. Toss the noodles with the chili-orange oil. All the above, including cutting the vegetables, may be done a day ahead. Seal and refrigerate the ingredients; bring to room temperature before stir-frying.
5. About 15 minutes before serving, heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a bead of water on contact. Add 2 tablespoons of the corn oil and swirl to glaze the pan. Reduce the heat to moderate. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a scallion ring, add the aromatics and stir gently until fully fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Adjust the heat so the aromatics foam without browning. Add the red onion and toss briskly until softened, about 1½ minutes. Add the red bell pepper and fennel, and toss for 2 minutes. Add the celery and toss for 1 minute more. Adjust the heat to maintain a merry sizzle and drizzle a bit more oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Add the Chinese cabbage, Chinese mustard, and noodles. Toss gently to mix for 1 minute. Add the carrots, wax beans, water chestnuts, and duck, and toss to combine.
6. Stir the sauce and add it to the pan. Raise the heat to high, cover the pan, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine and add it to the pan. Stir the sauce until it turns glossy, 10 to 20 seconds. Serve immediately on heated plates or on a platter of contrasting color. Garnish with the scallions.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: This is a satisfying one-dish meal. If you wish a first course, Eggroll-Cartwheel Soup (page 87) or China Moon Infusion (page 72) enriched with shredded vegetables are good choices.