Tea-Smoked Duck or Chicken
This is a simple smoking technique that doesn’t take long, though if your aluminum foil seal is not tight, you run the risk of really smoking up your kitchen. So the first time you try it, pick a day that’s warm enough to open the windows and have a fan handy. (I don’t say this to dissuade you, but from very real experience. I do love this recipe, and it works well; but sometimes unfortunate events occur!) The duck is best cut up and served as part of a larger meal of Chinese food or as part of a multinational buffet or used in stir-fries. Chicken is even easier; you can skip the initial steaming if you like.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Prick the duck skin all over with a sharp fork, skewer, or thin-bladed knife; try not to hit the meat (the fat layer is usually about 1/4 inch thick). Rub the duck all over with all but 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, then the five-spice powder. Place the duck on a steaming rack over (not in) abundant boiling water, cover the pot, and turn the heat to high. Steam for about 45 minutes, adding more (boiling) water if necessary. Remove the duck. (At this point you can cool and wrap it well, then refrigerate for a day or two before proceeding.)
Step 2
Line a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid with 2 layers of heavy aluminum foil (a wok is okay, but it won’t have a lid). Mix the rice, tea, sugar, orange peel, and cinnamon in the bottom. Use a rack of some kind to create a platform for the duck, at least an inch over the smoking mixture (but remember that the duck must not protrude over the top of the pan). Place the duck, breast side up, on the platform, then cover the pot very tightly with a double thickness of heavy aluminum foil or its cover or, preferably, both. The seal should be as tight as you can make it (without resorting to epoxy; duct tape isn’t bad, though).
Step 3
Turn the heat to high and, after 10 minutes (or when smoke appears; despite your best efforts, there will probably be at least a small leak), turn the heat to medium. Smoke for another 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, but do not remove the cover for another 15 minutes (as soon as you do, remove and discard the smoking mixture).
Step 4
Serve the duck hot or at room temperature; do not refrigerate at this point unless you’re going to add it to a stir-fry (in which case wrap it well and refrigerate for up to 2 days). If you’re serving the duck solo, cut it into small pieces and drizzle with the remaining soy sauce and the sesame oil.
