Bun Mang Vit | Vietnamese Duck and Bamboo Shoot Noodle Soup

Drain the canned bamboo shoots, rinse them with plenty of water, and cut them into thin strips. Boil for 8 minutes, then drain and rinse once more. The cooking water will be cloudy and sharp-smelling, so discard it instead of adding it to the soup.

Put the duck in a wide pot with enough water to cover it, the coarsely chopped ginger, and the halved onion. When it comes to a boil, skim off the foam. Reduce the heat and cook with the lid partly open for 70 minutes, until the meat loosens around the thigh bone. Do not let it boil vigorously, or the broth will turn cloudy.

Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone: the internal temperature must reach 74°C / 165°F. Duck meat is darker than chicken, and the center heats slowly even when the meat looks cooked; do not remove it from the heat before it reaches 74°C / 165°F. Then remove the duck and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Strain the remaining liquid into a clean pot. Skim off most of the fat that has collected on the surface, leaving a finger-thick layer; do not remove it all. Add the boiled bamboo shoots, fish sauce, and sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt.

Mix the grated ginger with the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and sliced chili pepper. Remove the rested duck meat from the bones and cut it into thin slices, leaving the skin on. Slicing the duck while it is hot will release its juices, so let it rest first.

Boil and rinse the noodles, then divide them among bowls. Arrange the soybean sprouts, duck slices, and bamboo shoots on top, then pour in the boiling broth. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion and serve with lime wedges; offer the dipping sauce separately in small bowls.