Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with...Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with Kumquat-Five Spice Glaze

Exquisite Lapsang Souchong smoked duck breast paired with a vibrant kumquat-five spice reduction, velvety ginger-parsnip purée, and toasted Szechuan pepper jus.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the duck breast skin in a fine crosshatch pattern without piercing the meat. Season generously with sea salt.

2. 02

   Line a heavy wok or Dutch oven with aluminum foil. Mix Lapsang Souchong tea leaves, jasmine rice, and dark brown sugar at the bottom. Position a wire steamer rack inside.

3. 03

   Heat the wok over high heat until wisps of smoke appear. Place duck breasts skin-side up on the rack, cover tightly with a lid, and smoke on low heat for 12 minutes. Remove duck and set aside.

4. 04

   For the purée, simmer diced parsnips and grated ginger in salted boiling water until fork-tender (12-15 minutes). Drain and blend in a high-speed blender with heavy cream and 15g cold butter until ultra-smooth. Keep warm.

5. 05

   Place smoked duck breasts skin-side down in a cold cast-iron skillet. Turn heat to medium-low to render fat for 8-10 minutes until skin turns deep mahogany and crisp. Flip and sear for 2 minutes until internal temperature hits 54°C (130°F). Rest for 8 minutes.

6. 06

   Pour off excess fat from skillet. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine over medium-high heat, scraping up caramelized bits. Add duck stock, soy sauce, kumquats, five-spice powder, and crushed Szechuan peppercorns. Simmer until reduced by half into a syrupy glaze.

7. 07

   Remove sauce from heat and whisk in the remaining 15g cold butter to create a glossy emulsion.

8. 08

   To serve, swoosh the ginger-parsnip purée across warm plates. Slice the duck breasts against the grain, fan over the purée, and spoon the warm kumquat-Szechuan glaze over the top.