Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with...Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with Spiced Kabocha Purée and Chinkiang Jus

Crisp-skinned duck breast gently infused with jasmine tea smoke, served over a velvety miso-kabocha purée, tender blistered gai lan, and finished with a rich, aromatic Chinkiang vinegar glaze.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Season the scored duck breasts on both sides with the Chinese five-spice powder and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Place skin-side up on a rack and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes to dry the skin.

2. 02

   Line a wok or deep heavy roasting pan with heavy-duty foil. Combine the jasmine tea leaves, uncooked rice, and brown sugar at the bottom. Place an elevated wire rack over the mixture and arrange the duck breasts on top. Cover tightly with foil and a lid, heat over medium-high until wisps of smoke appear, then turn heat to low and smoke the duck gently for 8 minutes without fully cooking. Remove from smoker and set aside.

3. 03

   Steam the cubed kabocha squash over high heat for 15 minutes until fork-tender. Transfer immediately to a high-speed blender with white miso paste and cubed butter. Puree on high until ultra-smooth and glossy. Season with remaining salt to taste and keep warm.

4. 04

   Place the smoked duck breasts skin-side down into a cold cast-iron skillet. Set heat to medium-low and slowly render the fat for 10-12 minutes until the skin becomes deep amber and crackling crisp. Turn breasts flesh-side down and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the core reaches 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm board and rest for 8 minutes.

5. 05

   Pour off excess fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the ginger matchsticks and sizzle for 30 seconds. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine, scraping up fond. Pour in duck stock, Chinkiang vinegar, and rock sugar. Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds to a glossy, coat-the-spoon glaze.

6. 06

   In a separate hot pan, quickly blister the baby gai lan with a few drops of rendered duck fat and toasted sesame oil for 2 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp.

7. 07

   To plate: Spoon a generous arc of warm kabocha purée onto each plate. Carve each rested duck breast into thick diagonal slices and fan over the purée. Nestle blistered gai lan alongside, then spoon the glossy Chinkiang jus around the duck and vegetables. Serve immediately.