Soba noodles with crispy duck & hot dipping sauce

Active: 50 minutes; Total: 8 hours 50 minutes; Serves: 4

Water	4 cups
Kombu square	3-inch square
Shiitake, dried, rinsed	3 medium
Duck breast	2 6-ounce
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Soy sauce	3/4 cup
Hon mirin	2 tablespoons
Sugar, cane	1 ½ tablespoons
Leek, white & green parts only, cut into 2- x ¼-inch strips	1 medium
Sake	1 tablespoon
Lemon or yazu peel strips, lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips	2
Ginger, peeled, cut into strips	1 ½ inch
Mitsuba or cilantro	Garnish
Serrano chile	Garnish
Soba noodles, cooked

1. Sprinkle duck breasts all over with salt; place on plate, skin side up, on a plate, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours or overnight. 
2. Stir together the water, kombu, and shiitakes in a medium bowl; let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours or overnight. 
3. Remove the kombu and mushrooms; discard the kombu or, if desired, reserve to make another batch of dashi, reserve and slice the mushrooms.
4. Combine the soy sauce, hon mirin, and sugar in a large saucepan. 
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just beings to simmer and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Stir in the dashi, leek, mushrooms, and sake; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
7. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the leek is tender and the mixture has reduced to about 4 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. 
8. Cover dipping sauce, and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. 
9. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. 
10. Place the duck breast, skin sides down, in the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. 
11. Cook, undisturbed, occasionally spooning off drippings from the skillet, until the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. 
12. Flip the duck breast; cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 130°F for medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes. 
13. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. 
14. To serve, divide the dipping sauce evenly among four bowl. 
15. Cut the duck breasts crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, and add to the bowls 
16. Top evenly with citrus peel and ginger strips; garnish with mitsuba and serrano. 
17. Serve immediately with cold soba noodles. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2021.