Tea-Smoked Duck with Smoked Walnuts

Total Time
1 Hr, 55 Mins
Serves
8
Meal
Dinner

Total Time

Prep Time
1 Hr, 20 Mins
Cook Time
35 Mins
Total Time
1 Hr, 55 Mins

Nutrition

Calories
280 cal
Total Fat
9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat
3.8 g
Cholesterol
135 mg
Sodium
430 mg
Carbohydrates
17 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Protein
29 g

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup soy sauce, naturally brewed
  • 2 tablespoons plus ½ cup (divided) Chinese black tea
  • 2 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns, toasted, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 3-4 cups water, as needed
  • 4 duck breasts, skin removed and reserved
  • 24 California walnuts, whole, in-shell
  • Oil, as needed
  • Salt, as needed
  • 2 ounces hickory wood
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 8 mandarin pancakes or small tortillas
  • ¼ cup plum or hoisin sauce
  • 8 scallions, sliced on bias very thinly

Preparation

  1. Mix soy sauce, 2 tablespoons black tea, peppercorns and five-spice powder with 3 cups water. Remove all visible fat from duck. Place in nonreactive bowl, cover with mixture and add additional water if necessary to barely cover.
  2. Crack walnuts slightly, but leave in shell and add to marinade. Cryovac for 1 hour at room temperature or marinate in refrigerator for 24 hours.
  3. Chill duck skin and slice into thin strips about 1/8-inch wide. Fry skin in oil until very crispy. Drain and season with salt.
  4. Mix 1/2 cup black tea, hickory wood and sugar and smoke-cook duck on a stovetop smoker with low flame for about 30 minutes, or until 130° F at thickest point. 15 minutes before duck is ready, add cracked walnuts to smoker.
  5. Remove duck and walnuts. Shell nuts. Slice duck.
  6. Heat pancakes until warmed and spread each with 1 teaspoon sauce. Add duck, walnuts, scallions and crisped skin and serve.