Hunan Tea Smoked Duck Recipes

TEA SMOKED DUCK

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients, except sesame/vegetable oil, for the marinade in a bath solution and place cleaned duck in it overnight.
• Hang dry and rest for at least 2 hours. Hang duck in smoking oven with hook on the upper neck.
• Place the camphor wood, brown sugar, tea twigs, if available, on a pan at the base of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Some recipes call for tea leaves but tea leaves in the sugar/camphor mixture does not add that much tea flavor to the ducks. Roast the duck for approximately 40 minutes, but depends on size of duck, type of oven, etc. For best results for a crispy skin, the last 5 to 10 minutes should be at 400 degrees F, with a final basting of sesame/vegetable oil on the skin of the duck. Duck can be flashed in hot oil to finish, if timing for service is critical.
• Cut and serve hot, with buns and sauce, optional.

TEA-BRINED MAHOGANY DUCK

Steps:

• To make the brine, combine the water, tea leaves, ginger, and star anise in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. In a large nonreactive container, combine the steeped tea, soy sauce, and honey and stir until the honey is dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Add the bird(s) to the brine; refrigerate ducks for 4 hours, chicken for 6 hours. Keep the bird(s) submerged by placing a plate on top to weight down and at a temperature of not more than 40°F. Remove from the brine 1 hour before cooking. Rinse and pat dry.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
• To make the basting sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until the honey is dissolved.
• To roast in a box roaster, place the bird(s) breast side down on a wire roasting rack in a roasting pan or clay baker and baste with the basting sauce. Light the charwood once the bird(s) is in place. Roast, covered, with indirect heat for 1 hour. Being careful not to pierce the skin, turn over, baste, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 175° to 180°F.
• To roast in a wood-fired oven or ceramic cooker such as a Big Green Egg, place the bird(s) breast side down in a roasting pan and baste with the basting sauce. Roast for 1 hour. Being careful not to pierce the skin, turn over, baste, and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh registers 175° to 180°F.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

HUNAN TEA-SMOKED DUCK

Steps:

• Clean and wash duck.
• Dry thoroughly with a paper towel.
• Rub inside and outside with salt.
• Sprinkle with peppercorns.
• Wrap duck in aluminum foil and place a heavy weight on top. (A brick wrapped in foil will do the trick)
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Remove foil and place duck on steamer tray.
• Cover and steam over boiling water 1 1/2 hours.
• Line large wok and wok lid with aluminum foil.
• Place tea leaves, rice, and brown sugar on foil.
• Put a rack above the mixture or place 4 chopsticks crosswise approximately 1 inch above it.
• Place duck on rack, breast side up.
• Cover wok and seal tightly to prevent smoke from escaping.
• Turn on high heat. Roast tea mixture until it smokes.
• Smoke duck 10 minutes on high heat.
• Reduce heat to moderate.
• Smoke another 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Leave duck in wok 20 minutes more.
• Remove duck.
• Cool thoroughly and rub with soy sauce.
• Sprinkle evenly with cornstarch.
• Heat oil in wok and deep-fry duck 10 minutes (5 minutes each side).
• Remove and drain on paper towel.
• Chop into bite-sized pieces and serve with rice mixture.