Tea Duck for any celebration

SMOKED TEA DUCK adapted from a recipe by Judythe Roberts

Start preparations 2 days in advance.

1 duck, whole, 5-6 pounds, dry marinated for 2 days with:

3 TB Kosher salt

1 TB Szechuan peppercorns, roasted and crushed (find this or substitution online)

2 tsp. Five Ingredient Spice

Flatten breastbone of bird (so that it looks like it got run-over!). Rub well with spices inside and out. Cover bird with plastic wrap on a baking sheet. Cover with another baking sheet and weight down so bird flattens out. Marinate in refer for 2 days.

6 slices fresh ginger, cut into 3 inch pieces

6 whole scallions, cut into 3 inch slices

Smoking Mixture:

1 Cup raw long-grain white rice

1 Cup dark Chinese tea leaves (Jasmine)

1/2 Cup hickory chips

1/4 Cup dried orange or tangerine peel

4 cinnamon sticks

1/4 Cup brown sugar (optional)

Stuff cavity of duck with ginger and scallions. Steam duck. To steam, put water in bottom of wok and place duck on steamer or wire rack about one inch above water level. Cover and bring water to low boil, reduce heat and steam for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Drain duck. In a kettle style barbeque lined with foil, make a bed of charcoal, light, and when coals are ready, set a metal pie plate with the smoking ingredients on the coals. Note: be sure vents on both top and bottom of bbq are open). Cover with a grate and set duck on the grate. Smoke duck, covered, 45-50 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Cool. Put under broiler for 15 minutes to brown: watch it VERY closely! Let bird rest.

Cut up* and serve either chilled or at room temperature. *To cut: use poultry shears and cut 2” pieces across the bird.