Duck Breast Carbonara Recipe

Bring water to boil

Bring a large pot of water (about 4–6 quarts) to a rolling boil. Salt the water lightly (about 1 tsp).

Cook ramen

Add 12 oz ramen noodles and cook until just al dente according to package for fresh or 2–3 minutes for dried. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the noodles and set aside in the colander. Do not rinse.

Score and season

Pat duck breasts dry. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat. Season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Render skin and sear

Place a cold, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-low heat. Place duck breasts skin-side down in the dry skillet. Cook slowly for 8–10 minutes, pressing occasionally and rendering fat, until skin is deeply golden and crisp. If too much fat accumulates, pour off excess, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Finish duck

Flip the breasts and increase heat to medium. Sear the flesh side 2–3 minutes until browned. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 6–8 minutes. Slice thinly on a bias just before serving.

Make egg-cheese mixture

In a medium bowl whisk together 4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup finely grated Parmesan and 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano until combined. Add 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. The mixture should be thick and creamy.

Temper with pasta water

Warm 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Whisking constantly, add 2–3 tablespoons of warm pasta water into the egg-cheese mixture to gently raise its temperature (this prevents scrambling when combined with hot noodles).

Sauté garlic

In the skillet used for the duck, pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of duck fat (or add the 1 tbs neutral oil if you removed too much). Reheat over medium heat, add 1 tbs unsalted butter and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant and just beginning to color. Do not burn the garlic.

Combine noodles and sauce

Add the drained hot ramen noodles to the skillet and toss with the garlic, fat, and butter to coat and reheat the noodles for 30–60 seconds. Remove the pan from direct heat. Pour the tempered egg-cheese mixture over the noodles and quickly toss/toss-and-fold (using tongs) until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time as needed to reach a silky, clingy consistency. The residual heat will cook the eggs into a creamy sauce — avoid returning the pan to high heat to prevent scrambling.

Adjust seasoning

Taste and adjust with additional salt or pepper if needed. If sauce is too thick, stir in small amounts of reserved pasta water until desired texture is reached (up to the reserved 1 cup).

Plate and finish

Divide the sauced ramen between 4 plates. Top each portion with sliced duck breast. Sprinkle each plate with 1/2 tsp furikake (2 tsp total) and divide 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions over the dishes. Optionally, grate a little extra Pecorino or Parmesan over the top and finish with a crack of black pepper.