![Overhead view of GuaydtiaaoBpetDtoon](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.seriouseats.com/thmb/Cr_5TNydTDYBDVPV6GcJnbwbxq8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-SEA-GuaydtiaaoBpetDtoon-AmandaSuarez-hero-b5d8bee296f744c180f5cf7bc1626979.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Why It Works
- Using a whole duck creates a deeply flavored broth.
- Cooking the noodles separately keeps the broth from becoming starchy.
- Chile vinegar cuts through the richness of the duck.
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.
![Overhead view of eating Guaydtiaao Bpet](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/YLmeFoB0nuVjquqOm6Ztao88CpY=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-GuaydtiaaoBpetDtoon-AmandaSuarez-41-434c7492ffd94826bbd8b5d70f543705.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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.
![Overhead view of broth ingredients](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/pU6INTtBXTqCLCNvheujcqu0Sek=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-SEA-GuaytiaoReuaNeuaToo-AmandaSuarez-01-820fca2ef4a844948d9a698e98a57cae.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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.”)
![Side view of bowl](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/sMXOzMucGKviF0mhqCX9pjd1mbs=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-GuaydtiaaoBpetDtoon-AmandaSuarez-40-745e71ea88634d45a5aae02e5d431051.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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.
![Overhead view of adding duck legs to broth](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/p0PQ9lS5VxIcV0Ew-ZmE16jDEB0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-SEA-GuaytiaoBpet-AmandaSuarez-10-8ceaff445fe94e9ebc033471bb15d721.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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.
![Close up of broth bubbling](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/m8kG6NG2JypvW3zGD9B3IbV6Qng=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-SEA-GuaytiaoReuaNeuaToo-AmandaSuarez-06-750c6c67c3174521b3def7ee6835d9f5.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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.
![Overhead view of finished dish](https://www.seriouseats.com/thmb/0I9cOjkAd0ZMn9HUK0jIMKrvRMw=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20231204-GuaydtiaaoBpetDtoon-AmandaSuarez-37-dcdeab9034e848079eab9459396b3063.jpg)
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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.
Recipe Details
Guaydtiaao Bpet Dtoon (Thai Duck Noodle Soup) Recipe
Ingredients
For the Broth:
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1 whole duck (about 6 pounds; 2.72kg), giblets removed
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1 medium white onion (8 ounces; 225g), peeled and halved
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3/4 cup (180ml) Thai light (thin) soy sauce
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1/2 cup (50g) roughly chopped Chinese celery roots or stems (see notes)
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1/2 cup (50g) cilantro roots or stems (about 15 roots; see notes)
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1/4 cup (60ml) Thai dark (black) soy sauce
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3 tablespoons (30g) Thai brown rock sugar (also sold as rock candy)
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3 tablespoons (30g) palm sugar
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1 head garlic (50g), unpeeled
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One 2-inch piece fresh or frozen galangal (20g)
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1 cinnamon stick (about 9g)
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2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
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1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
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1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
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1 teaspoon white peppercorns
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6 star anise pods
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3 pandan leaves, washed
For the Chile Vinegar:
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1 cup (240ml) white distilled vinegar
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1 pinch kosher salt
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4 red chiles, such as Holland, Fresno, or Cayenne (2 1/2 ounces; 70g), stemmed and sliced into rings
For the Bowls:
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4 ounces (113g) Chinese broccoli, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
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One 12-ounce package thin fresh egg noodles (wonton noodles)
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2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (40g) garlic oil from one recipe Crispy Fried Garlic and Garlic Oil, plus crispy fried garlic for serving
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6 stems Chinese celery including leaves, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
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Fish sauce, Thai light (thin) soy sauce, ground roasted Thai chiles, and granulated sugar, for serving
Directions
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For the Broth: Butcher duck (you can see our guide here) by first removing duck head and neck (if attached) and wings. Trim excess skin and fat from neck and cavity area, then remove both legs. Cut away backbone, then remove breasts from bone cage. Cut neck and backbone into roughly 3-inch pieces.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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In a large stock pot, add duck head and neck (if available), backbone, breastbone, and wings and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil for 5 minutes, then drain duck in colander placed in sink. Rinse duck parts under cold water, washing off as much scum as you can. Wash pot, then return duck to pot along with 4 quarts of water, the onion, light soy sauce, celery roots or stems, cilantro roots or stems, dark soy sauce, rock sugar, palm sugar, garlic, galangal, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, white peppercorns, star anise, and pandan leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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Add duck legs and continue to cook until duck meat is tender and stock is reduced by about half, about 2 hours. Add duck breasts and poach until just cooked through (about 150°F; 65°C), 7 to 10 minutes. Remove duck legs and breasts and strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer. You should have about 2 quarts of strained broth. Skim off duck fat if a more lean broth is desired.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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When meat is cool enough to handle, remove bone from each duck leg while keeping the skin on. Reserve duck.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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For the Chile Vinegar: In a small saucepan, bring vinegar and salt to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and add chiles. Let steep for at least 30 minutes (vinegar will be best after 1 day).
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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For the Bowls: In a covered medium saucepan, warm 3 cups (710ml) of the broth over medium-low heat with the duck legs and breasts.
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In a medium bowl, prepare an ice water bath. In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch Chinese broccoli until slightly tender and bright green, about 15 seconds. Using a skimmer, transfer to ice water bath.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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Return water to a boil, add egg noodles, and cook according to package directions. Drain noodles in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic oil and mix with chopsticks to coat.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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Remove duck meat from broth. Slice leg meat into bite-size pieces. Slice breast meat thinly.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
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Divide noodles and then broccoli into individual bowls. Arrange duck meat in each bowl. Ladle broth into each bowl and garnish with crispy fried garlic and Chinese celery leaves and stems. Serve immediately, allowing guests to season and garnish their bowls to taste with chile vinegar, fish sauce, Thai light (thin) soy sauce, ground Thai chiles, and granulated sugar.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Special Equipment
Notes
The roots of fresh Chinese celery and coriander (a.k.a. cilantro) can be hard to find in the US, as they are often cut off from the stems before being brought to market (though local farmers markets in the summer and fall often have coriander with the roots still attached). Chinese celery and coriander roots can be found at Southeast Asian markets. If you can't find the herb with the roots still attached, you can use the stems. And, to clarify, although they are called "roots," Thai cooks usually also use some of the green stems as well.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The duck broth can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days in advance or frozen for up to 6 months. If making in advance, store the portioned duck in some of the broth.
The chile vinegar can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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422 | Calories |
21g | Fat |
40g | Carbs |
18g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 to 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 422 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 21g | 27% |
Saturated Fat 6g | 29% |
Cholesterol 56mg | 19% |
Sodium 2699mg | 117% |
Total Carbohydrate 40g | 15% |
Dietary Fiber 5g | 17% |
Total Sugars 14g | |
Protein 18g | |
Vitamin C 31mg | 157% |
Calcium 132mg | 10% |
Iron 4mg | 22% |
Potassium 723mg | 15% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |