Guaydtiaao Bpet Dtoon (Thai Duck Noodle Soup)

Although Thai food is known abroad for its stir-fried noodles like pad thai, noodle soups are arguably even more popular among native Thais. What makes them so popular? Well, many things: the affordability, the ubiquitousness, the speed of ordering and eating, and of course the flavor. Noodle soups are an industry unto themselves in Thailand, as common as sandwich shops in the States, and they fulfill similar funcion, offering convenient and immensely satisfying one-bowl meals in a flash.

One style of Thai noodle soup that hits ultimate levels of comfort for me is guaytiaao bpet, or duck noodles. Duck (bpet) is braised until tender in a soy sauce–based broth with loads of aromatics and warm spices like cinnamon and star anise. Right before serving, freshly cooked noodles are tossed in garlic oil, and then a tangle of noodles is piled into each bowl and topped with greens and pieces of the rich duck. The hot broth is ladled over everything, creating a soup that is complex and comforting. 

At duck noodle restaurants, known as raan guaydtiaao pbet, you can choose rice noodles or egg noodles. You can also pick what parts of the duck you want in your soup, from innards to blood to braised legs and more. The duck too can be prepared in different ways, from roasted to grilled and braised. The recipe I'm sharing here is for bamee bpet dtoon, or braised duck leg with egg noodles, which is one of the easier options to make at home. (In Thai, braised duck is “bpet dtoon” and the variety of Chinese egg noodles is “bamee.”) 

To create a broth that is robust in duck flavor and has a rich texture, I start with a whole duck so I can take advantage of the carcass's natural collagen, which contributes valuable body to the broth as it simmers. I break a Pekin duck down into its head/neck, two breasts, two legs, and two wings before cutting the carcass into smaller pieces that easily fit into the pot. I trim the excess fat from the duck and save it so I can use it to fry the garlic that coats the noodles (this is optional, you can just use oil if collecting rendered duck fat sounds like more effort than you're willing to, though do know that the duck throws off liquid fat as it braises, and this can easily be used for the garlic without too much extra work, if desired).

To reduce the amount of scum (which comes from coagulated protein in the duck) in the broth, I boil the carcass pieces and wings for about three minutes and then dump them into a colander in the sink, rinsing the parts with cold water. After cleaning out the pot, I add back the rinsed duck parts, along with fresh water and all of my aromatics and spices, and then simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes, which creates a base broth to braise the duck legs.

Once the duck legs are nearly tender, I add the duck breasts and simmer them until they’re just cooked. To make this recipe more manageable, this is a step you can do up to three days in advance. Although it’s traditional in Thailand to serve each bowl with a whole piece of bone-in duck, I prefer to debone and slice the meat; it’s easier to portion and eat that way. If I’m making the soup components ahead of time, I store the meat right in the broth.

One of the best features of Thai noodle soups is how customizable they are. In Thailand, it’s common to set out an array of condiments so everyone can season their own bowl. Chile vinegar is a mainstay in the lineup. The sharp and spicy mixture, made simply by steeping sliced chiles in heated white vinegar, cuts through the rich, robust duck flavor. Diners can also choose to season their soup with soy sauce, fish sauce, Thai dried chile flakes, or Thai dried chile infused in a little bit of oil. 

Getting creative with your duck noodles isn’t restricted to the choice of condiments. You can adjust the proportions of the ingredients to suit your mood and appetite: mostly broth, mostly noodles, or anything in between. You can even swap out the egg noodles for rice noodles or whatever you have–it’s up to you.