Ingredients: 

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  For the chili oil:

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns

• 1 whole garlic clove, peeled

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 star anise

• 3 tbsp chilli flakes (Measure with your heart, you can make it spicier or milder depending on your preference)

• Enough neutral oil to cover

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  For the duck:

• Two duck breasts

• 1 tsp salt

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  For the sauce:

• 2 tsp oil

• 3 tbsp of butter

• 6-8 garlic gloves, peeled and minced

• 4 tbsp oyster sauce

• 3 tbsp ketchap manis

• 4 tsp fish sauce

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  To serve:

• 440g Singapore style noodles

• 150g spinach

• Handful of grated semi hard cheese

• Handful of finely diced coriander

• 4 cloves of black garlic, sliced into small chunks

• Half a cucumber, sliced into matchsticks

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Method:

• Start by putting the shallot, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon and star anise into a small pot, then submerge the spices in oil, and place over low heat. As it starts to heat up, the shallot and garlic will start to bubble but make sure that the oil itself does not, otherwise it could burn. Let the oil infuse over low heat for 20 minutes, and when ready, strain the oil into a jar over your chilli flakes.

• For the duck breasts, season with salt and then place skin down onto a dry pan. Have the pan on a low to medium heat, hot enough that the duck cooks, but not too hot that the duck burns. The lower and slower you cook your duck, the softer and tender it will be. As the duck cooks, the fat will start to render out. If you start to notice the duck fat smoking, drain it from your pan to ensure it doesn’t burn. Cook the duck ¾ of the way through with the skin down, then flip the duck to finish off the other side for 5 minutes. Remove the duck from the heat to rest. If your duck looks a little pink, don’t worry, it will continue to cook the rest of the way whilst resting. The final cook of your duck should be medium, not rare, but still blushing.

• For the sauce add the butter and oil to a small saucepan over low heat. Mince your garlic and add it to the pot, watching carefully that the garlic doesn’t burn. The lower the temperature of your stovetop the less likely the garlic is to burn. Continue to cook until the butter and the garlic have browned slightly, this will take a while, but be patient! Once your butter and garlic have browned, turn your stovetop off and carefully remove half of the garlic with a teaspoon and set aside. To the pot add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and ketchap manis. Stir your sauce until it is completely emulsified.

• In a large saucepan or wok, soften your noodles with hot water. At this stage you can add your spinach to wilt it, and once the noodles have separated from each other, drain the water. Over medium high heat, add grated cheese and your sauce to the wok and toss to coat the noodles and melt the cheese. Once warmed through, your dish is ready to be served!

• To serve, load your noodles into a bowl and sprinkle over your black garlic, coriander, and the browned garlic you set aside earlier. Slice the duck breast and splay it on top over the noodles. Place the cucumber matchsticks to the side, and then drizzle the dish with the chilli oil. Enjoy!