Kitchen Recipe Collection
Sichuan Tea Smoked Duck (Zhangcha Ya)
A complex, multi-step Sichuan masterpiece. A duck is marinated, steamed to render fat, heavily smoked with tea leaves and camphor, and finally deep-fried to a crisp.
- Prep
- 240 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 330 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 whole duck (2 kg)
- 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
- 3 slices ginger
- 3 scallions
- Smoking mixture: 1/2 cup black tea leaves, 1/2 cup rice, 1/4 cup sugar, (Optional: camphor twigs)
- Oil for deep frying
- Steamed lotus buns (for serving)
Equipment
- Large wok with a rack (for smoking)
- Aluminum foil
- Steamer
Instructions
- 1
Toast Spices
Toast the Sichuan peppercorns and salt in a dry pan until fragrant. Let cool.
- 2
Marinate
Rub the duck inside and out with the toasted salt mixture, wine, ginger, and scallions. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- 3
Steam the Duck
Place the duck in a large steamer. Steam over high heat for 45 minutes to cook the meat and render out excess fat. Let it cool and dry.
- 4
Prepare Smoker
Line an old wok heavily with aluminum foil. Place the tea leaves, raw rice, and sugar on the foil.
- 5
Place Duck
Place a wire rack over the smoking mixture, and set the steamed duck on the rack.
- 6
Generate Smoke
Turn the heat to high. Once the sugar begins to burn and thick yellow-brown smoke billows up, cover the wok with a tight lid.
- 7
Smoke the Duck
Turn heat to medium-low and smoke the duck for exactly 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.
- 8
Air Dry
Remove the dark, smoked duck and let it air dry for at least 30 minutes to firm up the skin.
- 9
Heat Oil
Heat a wok full of oil to 375°F (190°C).
- 10
Deep Fry
Carefully lower the smoked duck into the hot oil. Ladle oil over the top.
- 11
Crisp Skin
Deep-fry for about 5-8 minutes until the skin is mahogany and extremely crispy. Drain well.
- 12
Carve and Serve
Chop the duck into pieces with a cleaver. Serve with steamed lotus buns and hoisin sauce.
Cooking Tips
- The three-step process (steam, smoke, fry) is necessary. Steaming cooks it, smoking flavors it, and frying crisps the skin.
- Do not smoke it for too long or the smoke flavor will become bitter and acrid.
Variations
- Oven Finish: Instead of deep-frying, you can roast the smoked duck in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes to crisp the skin with less oil.
Nutrition Estimate
600 calories · 32g protein · 5g carbs · 45g fat · 0g fiber per serving
