Tea Smoked Duck Breast

The flavors of smoked black tea and lemongrass infuse duck breasts in this dish inspired by a Sichuan classic. Cooking the meat low and slow ensures it stays moist while also soaking up all that smoke. Impress your loved ones with this recipe that’s a lot easier to make than you might think.

TEA SMOKED DUCK BREAST

Ingredients:

• 2 duck breasts, fat scored, approximately 9-10 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons sake (60ml)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (10ml)
• ½ tablespoon ginger, minced (15ml)
• ½ tablespoon garlic, minced (15ml)
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (60ml)
• 1 green onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (10ml)
• Plum sauce for serving

For the Smoke Pouches:

• 6 black tea bags
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed with a knife and halved lengthwise (this is done to release the flavor)
• 4 cups uncooked rice (1 liter)
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds (5ml)
• 6 whole star anise

Method:

Score fat cap on the duck breasts by gently cutting parallel lines into the fat. Ensure you only pierce the fat and not the flesh.

In a bowl combine sake, salt, pepper, oil, garlic, green onions and ginger. Place the star anise in a coffee grinder and pulse until a light powder is achieved. Add to the mixture and whisk all of the ingredients together. Place the duck in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the duck. Seal the bag and toss gently to coat. Place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

Remove duck from the fridge and discard the marinade.

To make smoke pouches, place two large sheets of aluminum foil on a table. Divide the black tea, lemongrass, rice, coriander seeds and whole star anise into two equal portions and place one portion on top of each piece of foil. Close the foil around the mixture to make a sealed foil package. Use a fork to puncture holes in the top and bottom of the foil pack to allow the smoke to flow through and infuse the meat.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking by turning the heat to medium on one side and leaving the other side of the grill off. Close the lid until the internal temperature of the grill reaches 220ºF/110ºC. Place a smoke pouch directly over the heated side of the grill. Close the lid and wait for the cavity of the grill to fill with smoke.

Place the duck breasts skin side up on the side of the grill that is turned off. Close the lid and slow smoke the duck breasts over indirect heat for 40 – 50 minutes for medium rare, replacing the smoke pouch once halfway through.

Remove duck from grill, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice duck breasts thinly and serve with plum sauce.