Crispy Duck & Black Garlic Ramen
This ramen doesn’t belong on the street—it walks into the dining room dressed in silk. The duck brings its luxury, the black garlic brings its shadow, and together they build a broth that feels less like a meal and more like a slow confession. It’s ramen with table manners—and secrets.
Smoke curls, gold on skin—black garlic whispers softly—broth glows like velvet.
Let Me Tell You...
Duck doesn’t ask for permission.
When it hits the pan, the skin tightens and sighs, the fat rendering into liquid gold.
The smell alone could ruin restraint.
I spooned some of that fat into a pot where black garlic was already melting down with soy and mirin, its sweetness deepening until it felt almost dangerous.
The broth came next—duck stock, a little kombu, a touch of miso for gravity.
It shimmered darkly, the kind of color that promises silence before the first sip.
The noodles went in quietly, respectful of the room they’d entered.
I sliced the duck thin, laid it over the noodles, and spooned over black garlic oil until it caught the light like lacquer.
Fried shallots added crunch, microgreens softened the edge, and the whole thing looked like a secret too pretty to share.
Eating it felt like breaking some kind of rule.
The duck stayed crisp against the hot broth, the garlic spread across the tongue like smoke.
If ramen ever wore a tuxedo, this would be it.
Ingredients
- 2 bricks ramen noodles (about 8 oz dry)
- 1 duck breast, skin scored
- 4 cups duck or chicken broth
- 3 cloves black garlic, mashed
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp duck fat (or butter)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fried shallots (plus more for garnish)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Microgreens or chives, for garnish
Preparation
- Pat duck dry. Score skin in a crosshatch pattern, season with salt and pepper.
- Place duck skin-side down in a cold pan and cook over medium heat until skin is golden and fat is rendered, 10–12 minutes. Flip and sear 2 minutes more. Rest before slicing.
- In a pot, melt duck fat and sesame oil. Add garlic and black garlic; cook gently for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in miso, soy sauce, mirin, and broth. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook ramen noodles in a separate pot for 3 minutes; drain.
- Slice duck thinly and prepare black garlic oil by spooning a small amount of duck fat mixed with mashed black garlic.
- Divide noodles into bowls. Ladle hot broth over, top with duck slices, black garlic oil, and fried shallots.
- Garnish with microgreens or chives before serving.