Tea-Smoked Duck (Zhangcha Duck)
A classic Sichuan delicacy, smoked with camphor leaves and tea, resulting in crispy skin and tender meat with a unique smoky tea aroma.
Ingredients
13 items- Duck 1 whole (about 1500g)
- Coarse salt 2 tbsp
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tbsp
- Five-spice powder 1 tsp
- Cooking wine 2 tbsp
- Ginger 1 piece (30g)
- Scallions 2
- Camphor leaves 15g
- Jasmine tea 15g
- Rice 2 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tsp
- Cooking oil as needed
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Clean the duck, remove excess fat and tail. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Cut off feet and wing tips.
Dry-roast coarse salt and Sichuan peppercorns in a pan over low heat until fragrant and slightly yellow. Let cool, then mix with five-spice powder, cooking wine, ginger and scallions. Rub mixture all over the duck. Place in a bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Remove duck from marinade, shake off seasonings. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes until skin tightens. Rinse with cold water and drain.
Crush camphor leaves, tea, rice, and sugar together. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil at bottom of wok. Place duck on a steamer rack, cover. Heat over medium-high until smoke appears, then lower to low heat. Smoke for 15 minutes until skin turns golden brown.
Transfer smoked duck to a steaming plate. Steam over high heat for 30 minutes until tender (insert chopstick easily into thickest part of thigh).
While still hot, brush with light soy sauce. Air-dry on a rack for about 10 minutes (or use hair dryer).
Heat enough oil in wok to 180°C (350°F). Deep-fry the duck, continuously basting with hot oil until skin crispy and deep red-brown. Drain.
Let rest briefly, then chop into pieces. Arrange on plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper or chili oil, and garnish with scallion shreds.
Tips
Longer marinating yields deeper flavor; keep smoking mixture moist and use low heat to avoid bitterness; drying the skin before frying is key for crispiness.
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