Come Dine with Me (5) - Soba Noodle Soup with Five-Spice Duck; Broad Bean, Pea & Prosciutto Pasta, Spiced Mussel Pilaf, Linguine w Red Mullet

Be it noodle, pasta or rice, they dominate our dinner tables. These one-pot wonders are well loved by my family. Here are four recipes that I have cooked recently and enjoyed them a lot and I am happy to share the recipes with you.

Soba Noodle Soup with Five-Spice Duck Recipe
(Adapted from Delicious Magazine September 2009 issue)
Serves 4

I am often quite skeptical about Asian recipes found on Australian magazines but there are some rare gems hidden in them if you have a closer look into the recipes. This is one of them that caught my eyes and I was surprised how easy it is to make the five-spice duck and what a great companion to a big bowl of hot soupy noodles.

Ingredients

Pinch of dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp sugar
2 duck breast fillets, skin removed
2 L (8 cups) chicken stock
5 cm piece fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
2 tsp sunflower oil
270 g dried soba noodles, cooked to packet instructions, drained
1 long red chilli, deseeded, thinly sliced
50 g bean sprouts, trimmed
1 bunch bok choy, roughly chopped
8 spring onions, trimmed, thinly sliced on an angle
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
Soy sauce, to serve

Method

1. Mix chilli flakes, five-spice and sugar with some salt and pepper. Lightly coat the duck breasts in the spice mix. Stand for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
2. Meanwhile, bring stock and ginger to a simmer over medium heat. Keep hot.
3. Heat oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Cook duck for 3-5 minutes each side for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
4. Divide noodles among bowls. Add chilli, sprouts, bok choy and half the spring onion, then ladle over the hot stock.
5. Thinly slice the duck on an angle and place on top of the soup. Scatter with remaining spring onion and coriander and serve with soy sauce with sliced red chilli, if desired.

Broad Bean, Pea & Prosciutto Pasta Recipe
(Adapted from Delicious Magazine September 2009 issue, Recipe by Ben O'Donoghue)
Serves 4

It's spring time in Sydney. It's the season for fresh peas and fresh broad beans. To me, spring means more outdoors and less cooking. Here comes this simple yet delicious spring pasta.

Ingredients

8 slices prosciutto
80 g unsalted butter
4 spring onions (with bulb), bulbs and 10 cm stalks thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
300 ml thickened cream
100 g fresh podded or frozen broad beans, outer skin removed
200 g fresh podded or frozen peas
400 g orecchiette (or other short pasta)
1 cup (80 g) grated Parmesan
1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra leaves to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Lay prosciutto slices on the tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool, then break into shards (If you prefer, just chop up the uncooked prosciutto and toss it through the sauce at the end)
2. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Cook spring onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent. Pour in stock, bring to a simmer, then whisk in cream. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until reduced by half.
3. Add beans and peas to the sauce, stir well and cook for 5-6 minutes (3-5 minutes for frozen), until tender.
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain, then add to the sauce with cheese, mint and prosciutto. Season, then divide among bowls and garnish with mint leaves.

Spiced Mussel Pilaf Recipe
(Adapted from Delicious Magazine July 2009 issue)
Serves 4

This recipe is a little out there but the mussels work surprisingly well with the spices. It's interesting to have found this interesting mussels recipe other than using them in the usual paella and pasta dishes.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 cinnamon quills, lightly bruised
2 cups (400 g) basmati rice
2 cup (500 ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
1 kg mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 cup (120 g) frozen peas
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, chopped garlic, ground turmeric and cinnamon quills, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion has softened.
2. Add the rice, then stir for 1 minute to coat the grains well in the onion mixture. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the mussels and frozen peas and give everything a good stir to combine. Cover again and cook the pilaf for a further 10 minutes until the rice is tender and the mussel shells have opened (discard any that haven't opened after this time).
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves, then divide the pilaf among bowls and serve.

Linguine with Red Mullet Recipe
(Adapted from Vogue Entertainment + Travel Magazine December/January 2010 issue, Recipe by Armando Percuoco)
Serves 8 for a pasta course or light lunch

Have you tried frying capers until they are crisp? It gives you a nice crunch and then 'pop' comes the flavour. I made this pasta dish because I was curious how the fried capers taste. We really liked them and they compliment the fish and linguine really well. I am sure this pasta will be on our dinner table again and again.

Ingredients

100 g (1/2 cup) baby salted capers
245 ml olive oil
9 x 14cm-long red mullets, cleaned, filleted (I used Spanish mackerel)
600 g linguine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large roma tomatoes, halved, seeded, finely chopped
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, torn
Chilli oil (optional), to drizzle

Method

1. Soak capers in warm water for 1 hour. changing the water halfway, then drain and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Heat 80 ml (1/3 cup) oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. fry capers for 1-2 minutes or until crisp, then drain on paper towel.
3. Cut 8 red mullet fillets in half lengthwise and and reserve, then cut remaining fillet into 2cm pieces.
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add 2 tbsp sea salt and bring to the boil again. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes or until al dente.
5. Meanwhile, heat 125 ml (1/2 cup) oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until golden. Add chopped fish and toss for 1 minute, then add tomatoes, reduce heat to low and cook until the tomatoes become pulpy and the fish flakes. The sauce will look oily at this stage, but the oil will be absorbed when the pasta is added.
6. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Season reserved fish fillets and cook, skin-side down first, for 2 minutes each side or until just cooked. Drain on paper towel.
7. Drain pasta, reserving 80 ml (1/3 cup) pasta water. Add pasta with reserved water to the sauce. Increase heat to high and gently combine ingredients for 3 minutes or until heated through. Season with sea salt.
8. Divide pasta mixture among bowls and top each with 2 pieces of fish. Serve immediately, scattered with capers and torn parsley, add drizzled with a little chilli oil, if desired.