Camphor and Tea-Smoked Duck
The duck is marinated, smoked, steamed, and then deep-fried, resulting in a crispy exterior and tender interior with the distinctive aroma of camphorwood and tea.
Ingredients
Fat male duck (cleaned)
to taste
Scented tea (smoking agent)
to taste
Camphor leaves (smoking agent)
to taste
Rice straw (smoking agent)
to taste
Pine and cypress branches (smoking agent)
to taste
Sichuan salt
to taste
Shaoxing wine
to taste
Sesame oil (for brushing the skin)
to taste
Sichuan peppercorns
to taste
White pepper powder
to taste
Fermented glutinous rice juice
to taste
Cooked vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
to taste
Instructions
1
Marinating and Setting the Skin
Make a horizontal cut across the back-tail end of the cleaned duck, remove the entrails, cut off the vent, and rinse clean. In a bowl, combine the Shaoxing wine, fermented glutinous rice juice, white pepper powder, Sichuan salt, and Sichuan peppercorns, then rub the mixture evenly over the duck. Marinate for 8 hours, then lift out, briefly dip in boiling water to tighten the skin, and pat dry.
2
Smoking and Steaming
Place the duck in a smoking oven, using the scented tea, rice straw, pine and cypress branches, and camphor leaves mixed evenly as the smoking material. Smoke until the duck skin turns yellow, then remove. Place the duck in a large steaming bowl and steam over a steamer for 2 hours, then take out and let cool.
3
Deep-Frying and Plating
Set a wok over high heat, pour in the cooked vegetable oil and heat to 80% hot, add the smoked and steamed duck and deep-fry until the skin is crisp and fragrant, then remove and brush with sesame oil. Chop the duck neck into segments and arrange them in the center of a round plate, then chop the duck body into strips (skin side up) and lay them over the neck pieces to form a duck shape. Serve with lotus leaf soft pancakes on the side.
