Lapsang Souchong Smoked Duck...Lapsang Souchong Smoked Duck Breast with Spiced Mandarin Reduction and Daikon Fondant

An exquisite fine-dining composition pairing tea-smoked, dry-aged duck breast with a silk-rendered crispy skin, slow-braised daikon fondant, and a glossy, citrus-perfumed Sichuan jus.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the Daikon Fondant: In a small heavy sauté pan, sear the daikon cylinders in 10g of butter over medium-high heat until golden brown on both ends (approx. 3 minutes per side). Pour in the kombu dashi, cover with a parchment cartouche, and braise on low heat for 30 minutes until tender through the core. Keep warm.

2. 02

   Wok-Smoking the Duck: Line a deep wok with heavy-duty foil. Combine the Lapsang Souchong tea leaves, jasmine rice, and brown sugar at the bottom. Place a wire rack over the mixture and set the scored, seasoned duck breasts skin-side up on the rack. Cover tightly with foil and a lid. Heat over medium-high until thin wisps of smoke appear, then smoke gently for 5 minutes. Remove duck immediately to prevent overcooking.

3. 03

   Render and Sear the Duck: Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry carbon-steel pan. Bring heat to medium-low, rendering the fat slowly until the skin turns exceptionally crisp, golden, and glass-like (approx. 10-12 minutes). Turn over and sear the flesh side for 2 minutes, basting with hot rendered fat until internal temperature reads 54°C (medium-rare). Transfer to a warm rest plate for 8 minutes.

4. 04

   Build the Spiced Mandarin Jus: In a small saucepan, combine mandarin juice, Shaoxing wine, star anise, and toasted Sichuan peppercorns. Simmer rapidly until reduced to a light syrup. Add the duck demi-glace and simmer gently for 5 minutes until glossy and coating the back of a spoon. Strain through a fine chinois. Whisk in 30g of cold cubed butter off the heat to create a velvet-smooth emulsion.

5. 05

   Sear Greens: In the duck rendering pan, quickly sear the blanched baby bok choy cuts cut-side down for 60 seconds to blister slightly.

6. 06

   Plating: Carve the rested duck breast into thick, elegant slices; season cut surfaces with flaky sea salt. Position one daikon cylinder off-center and drape the glazed bok choy alongside. Fan the carved duck breasts opposite the daikon. Trace an arc of Spiced Mandarin Jus around the plate. Garnish with micro purple shiso leaves and serve immediately.