Tea-Smoked Duck

After seeing a few recipes for "smoking" things, I was desperate to try the process myself (obviously, I am discussing the innocent food-related smoking process, not anything else here!).

So, a bit of a hunt around and I found a devine recipe for Pete Evan's Tea-Smoked Duck on the MasterChef website. All in all, it didn't sound too difficult so I thought, what the heck, let's give it a go.

A visit to T2 Tea Shop for some yummy smoking teas (and a disgruntled husband mumbling about expensive teas, mortgage payments etc.) and I was almost set to go. The last item required was the duck breast (thankfully I had everything else already!!!) - simple, a visit to the local poultry shop where I can always, always get duck and I will be ready to go! Ho hum, not to be...of course they had run out of duck breast that day. Well, have you ever seen anyone in tears at the poultry store...yep, that was me...insane!!! Seriously, how embarrassing. I think I had poured so much emotion and courage into making such a different dish that I just couldn't face not making it that day. Thankfully, the poultry store had duck legs which, although not ideal, turned out to be fine with some complicated deboning applied (by my further disgruntled husband :-))

So, off I went with the whole smoking thing. After spending half an hour getting the smoking mix together and pouring it into some foil at the bottom of my bessemer pot, I waited patiently for it all to happen...smokin!!! The smoke is definitely a give away and it really did happen for me despite my reservations. So, on went the duck and away it all went. Six minutes later and I had devine tasting, deliciously tender duck to serve with the gorgeous orange sauce and some shop-bought pasta. I completely chickened (ducked :-)) out of making the ravioli in the recipe but, after a further review, have decided it was probably easy enough so will try it in future. I did attempt the fried ginger to sprinkle on top but sadly, when David asked what had happened to the ginger, I had to point him towards a bowl full of black charred bits. The lesson...don't have your frying oil too hot!!!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe after my top tips as follows:

1. Discard the T2 bag and transfer your teas into generic packaging before entering the house.

2. Purchase your duck at least 1 day before you plan to make the recipe in case you have trouble finding it! If you cannot do this, make sure you have tissues on hand to use at the poultry shop! Furthermore, if you can only get the legs, practice your helpless female act to ensure your partner debones the duck!

3. Do not char your ginger bits!

4. Trust the recipe - it sounds bizarre and goes against the grain but it really does work and tastes delicious!

Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with Duck Liver Ravioli
(courtesy of MasterChef and Pete Evans)

2 duck breast
50g pâté
25g water chestnuts, diced
25g pear, diced
4 gow gee or wonton wrappers or thin pasta sheets
¼ cup (60ml) blood orange sauce – recipe to follow
3 cups baby spinach
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons julienned ginger

Tea Smoking Mixture
½ cup oolong tea leaves
½ cup jasmine tea leaves
Zest of 3 oranges
4 pieces of dried orange peel
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup of brown sugar
5 star anise
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
6 pieces cassia bark

Orange sauce
60g caster sugar
¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
2 cups (500ml) blood orange juice or orange juice
1 cup (250ml) Peking duck stock or chicken stock
Zest of 1 orange
50g of butter, diced

Method

Serves 2

1. For the orange sauce, place sugar in a cold pan and melt it down slowly (careful not to burn). Then add vinegar and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add orange juice and reduce by half. Then add the stock and reduce by half.

2. Add zest and blend the sauce with the butter and seasoning.

3. For tea smoking mixture, combine ingredients in a bowl.

4. Line a wok with foil then place the smoking mix on top and turn on the heat to medium and wait for it to start to smoke. Once smoking, place the duck breast skin side down in the middle tray of a steamer or on a rack that fits into the wok. Cover with a lid and cook for 7 minutes or until rare.

5. To make the ravioli, mix the pâté, water chestnuts and pear together with a touch of salt. Lay 2 gow gee wrappers on the bench and brush with water, place 2 mounds of the pâté mix in the center of the gow gee wrappers and place the top gow gee wrappers over the mound and press down firmly around the edges to seal so you have 2 ravioli.

6. Place the duck skin side down in a frying pan and cook until fat has rendered and skin is crispy and let rest for a few minutes in a warm spot and then slice.

7. Add spinach to same pan and cook until just wilted, season with some sea salt and pepper and then drain any excess liquid out of the spinach in a strainer. Then drop the ravioli in a pot of boiling water to cook for 1 minute.

8. Pour vegetable oil into a small frying pan until one quarter full. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Deep-fry ginger for 3-4 minutes or until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towel. Set aside.

9. Heat up the orange sauce.

10. To serve, place the spinach on plate, then top with the sliced duck, the ravioli, drizzle a tablespoon of sauce over the ravioli and duck and top with the fried ginger.