Ingredients
- •4 duck legs (thigh and drumstick)
- •2 tsp kosher salt
- •1 tsp five-spice powder
- •½ tsp white pepper
- •3 star anise
- •1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- •2 tbsp Lapsang Souchong tea leaves (for the bag)
- •For stovetop smoking:
- •½ cup raw rice
- •¼ cup Lapsang Souchong tea leaves
- •3 tbsp brown sugar
- •2 star anise
- •1 cinnamon stick, broken
- •For serving:
- •Steamed Chinese pancakes (bao wrappers or scallion pancakes)
- •Hoisin sauce
- •Sliced scallions and cucumber matchsticks
Instructions
Season duck legs with kosher salt, five-spice, and white pepper.
Place in vacuum-seal bags (2 per bag) with star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons tea leaves.
Seal and preheat sous vide bath to 168°F (76°C).
Submerge and cook for 12 h.
When done, remove duck legs and pat completely dry. Discard the aromatics.
Line a wok or large pot with a double layer of foil.
Combine rice, tea leaves, brown sugar, star anise, and cinnamon on the foil.
Place a wire rack inside the wok above the smoking mixture.
Heat the wok over high heat until the mixture begins to smoke heavily.
Place duck legs on the rack, skin-side up.
Cover tightly with the wok lid or foil.
Reduce heat to medium and smoke for 8–10 min.
Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 more minutes (the residual smoke continues).
The skin should be burnished and deeply aromatic.
Serve with Chinese pancakes, hoisin sauce, sliced scallions, and cucumber.
Notes
- •Lapsang Souchong is the smoky Chinese tea - it infuses the duck in the bag AND the wok
- •The stovetop smoking is purely for aroma and color - the duck is already cooked
- •Open windows and turn on the fan before smoking - it produces a lot of smoke
- •This is the home version of the famous Nanjing tea-smoked duck