TEA-SMOKED DUCK (ZHANGCHA YA ZI)

Ingredients

• For the marinade
• 1 whole duck, about 2–2.2 kg, cleaned
• 2 tbsp fine sea salt, rubbed inside and out
• 2 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 30 g fresh ginger, sliced
• For the smoking mixture
• 40 g black tea leaves, loose-leaf; oolong or green tea may be substituted
• 80 g brown rice, uncooked
• 2 tbsp sugar, for caramelisation and colour
• 40 g camphor wood chips, or substitute hickory chips plus an equal weight of additional black tea
• For deep-frying
• 2 L neutral oil, for deep-frying at 180 °C

Method

1. 1
   Day 1 — Marinade. Combine salt, five-spice, Sichuan peppercorns, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and ginger. Rub the mixture thoroughly inside the cavity and over every surface of the duck. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours, turning the bird once at the halfway point. The marinade is done when the salt has visibly drawn moisture to the surface and the skin has taken on a slightly tacky, seasoned film.
2. 2
   Day 2, stage 1 — Smoking. Line a large wok with two layers of heavy-duty foil, leaving generous overhang on all sides. Spread the black tea leaves, brown rice, sugar, and camphor wood chips (or hickory-and-tea substitute) evenly across the base. Set a rack over the smoking mixture and place the duck on the rack breast-side up. Place the wok over high heat, uncovered, until smoke begins to rise — the smoke should smell of tea: floral, slightly bitter, and woody. A sharp, acrid smell means the mixture is burning rather than smouldering; reduce the heat immediately. Once the correct smoke is established, cover the duck closely with a second sheet of foil pressed against its surface to seal in the smoke, then reduce to medium heat. Smoke for 10–12 minutes. The duck is done at this stage when the skin is a deep, uniform amber-brown; the flesh is not cooked through.
3. 3
   Day 2, stage 2 — Steaming. Transfer the smoked duck to a steamer basket set over a wok or pot of vigorously boiling water. Steam for 60–75 minutes. Maintain a steady boil throughout; a gentle simmer will extend the time and dry the flesh. The duck is done when the flesh is fully cooked and falling from the bone. Do not oversteam: dry, stringy flesh results from prolonged high-temperature steaming.
4. 4
   Between steaming and frying — Air-dry. Remove the duck from the steamer and set it on a rack, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. The surface must feel dry to the touch, not tacky with residual moisture. Skin that retains moisture from steaming will not crisp in the oil.
5. 5
   At service — Deep-frying. This is the stage on which the dish lives or dies. Heat neutral oil to 180 °C in a deep vessel large enough to submerge or closely baste the duck. Lower the duck carefully into the oil. The frying should immediately produce a vigorous, crackling sizzle as surface moisture evaporates; if the sizzle is silent from the outset, the oil temperature fell when the duck was added — raise heat and allow temperature to recover before proceeding. After the first minute the sound will settle to a steady, quieter sizzle. Fry for 5–8 minutes, basting the skin continuously where full submersion is not possible. The duck is already fully cooked; the sole objective is colour and texture. Remove when the skin is deep mahogany-brown and shatters at the touch. Do not allow it to cross into black.
6. 6
   To serve. Drain the duck briefly on a rack. Chop through the bone into serving pieces using a cleaver. Arrange on a platter. Serve with plain rice and accompaniments of contrasting character — something fresh and acidic such as smashed cucumber or pao cai, and something clean and light such as a clear broth or steamed vegetables.