Spicy duck soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g duck breast
• 3 red chili peppers
• 3 spring onions
• 100 g oyster mushrooms
• ½ bunch Thai basil, alternatively regular basil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 can coconut milk
• 500 ml chicken stock
• Oil for frying
• n. B. Chili sauce, hot, approx. 2 – 3 tbsp

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

Cut the duck breast into thin strips. Halve the chili peppers lengthwise, deseed if desired (for added spice), and cut into thin strips. Slice the spring onions into rings (including the green parts). Clean the oyster mushrooms (do not wash!!!) and tear or slice them into strips. Finely slice the Thai basil (or regular basil). Finely slice the garlic cloves. First, sear the meat in batches in a little oil until hot. Remove from the pot and keep warm. Mix the garlic and spring onion slices with the chili strips and heat with 3 tablespoons of fish sauce in the same pot used to sear the meat. Add the oyster mushrooms, 2-3 tablespoons of hot chili sauce, coconut milk (shake vigorously before opening), chicken stock, and the seared duck. Simmer everything over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the basil strips (reserve some for garnish) and cook for another minute. Serve garnished with basil strips. Even though it’s a soup, I like to serve it with fragrant rice on the side. This allows those who don’t like it too spicy to tone down the spiciness by eating some rice now and then.