Tea-Smoked Duck Recipe

At River Cottage, a well-known UK cooking school, chefs use a smoker made from an old bread bin to smoke foods like duck, rabbit, and fish. One creative recipe is for tea-smoked duck, similar to China's zhangcha duck.

The Recipe

To make tea-smoked duck, you'll need 2 duck breasts, 1 tbsp rock salt, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 3 tsp Chinese five-spice, 2-3 spent teabags, 3 tbsp rice, and optional aromatics like sliced ginger. Traditionally, zhangcha duck is smoked with camphor leaves and green or black tea.

Preparing the Dish

Dry brine the duck breasts with rock salt, brown sugar, and Chinese five-spice for at least an hour, or ideally eight or more hours.

Serving Suggestions

Once smoked, the duck tastes even better the next day and keeps well for up to five days in the fridge. Serve with rice, steamed vegetables, and soy sauce.

Key Facts

  • 2 duck breasts are used in the recipe.
  • The duck needs to be dry-brined for at least 1 hour.
  • The dish can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.
  • The recipe uses spent teabags for smoking.
  • Chinese five-spice is a key ingredient.