Jasmine Tea-Smoked Duck Breast...Jasmine Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with Szechuan Plum Reduction

An exquisite modern Asian creation featuring tender, tea-infused duck breast with ultra-crisp skin, balanced by a tart-sweet Szechuan plum glaze, sautéed baby bok choy, and delicate lotus root chips.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the smoking smoker-wok: Line a large wok with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Combine jasmine tea, raw rice, brown sugar, and 1 star anise in the bottom. Place a wire rack over the mixture.

2. 02

   Pat duck breasts completely dry. Season both sides with fine sea salt. Heat wok over high heat until tea mixture begins to smoke. Place duck skin-side up on the rack, cover tightly with a lid or foil, turn off heat, and allow to cold-smoke gently for 10 minutes.

3. 03

   Make the reduction: In a small saucepan, sauté minced ginger and garlic in a splash of oil until fragrant. Add chopped plums and deglaze with Shaoxing wine. Reduce by half.

4. 04

   Add duck stock, ground Szechuan peppercorns, and light soy sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes until plums soften. Pass through a fine chinoise strainer, pressing solids to extract juice. Return liquid to saucepan, reduce until syrupy, and whisk in cold butter off the heat. Keep warm.

5. 05

   Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry paper-thin lotus root slices for 1-2 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and lightly salt.

6. 06

   Blanch baby bok choy in boiling salted water for 45 seconds, then plunge into ice water. Drain well and flash-sauté in a pan with a touch of sesame oil for 1 minute.

7. 07

   Place smoked duck breasts skin-side down into a cold skillet. Set heat to medium-low to slowly render duck fat for 10–12 minutes until skin is deeply golden and crispy. Flip and sear meat side for 2–3 minutes until medium-rare (internal temperature 130°F / 54°C). Rest meat for 5 minutes before slicing.

8. 08

   Plating: Fan thin slices of duck breast over sautéed bok choy. Spoon glossy Szechuan plum reduction around the plate. Top duck with crispy lotus root chips and delicate micro cilantro.