Tea smoked duck breasts

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients
2 x 250g duck breasts
1 tbsp wok oil (or vegetable oil)
150g chestnut mushrooms, diced
1 shallots, very finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
35g water chestnuts, diced
½ tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
8 wonton wrappers
1 large pak choi

Ingredients for the smoking mixture
15g oolong tea leaves
15g jasmine tea leaves
zest of 1 orange
2 pieces of dried orange peel
100g jasmine rice
90g soft brown sugar
3 star anise
½ tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
3 cinnamon sticks

Ingredients for the orange sauce
60 g caster sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
500 ml orange juice
250 ml chicken stock
50g butter, cut into cubes

Method
Start by scoring your duck through the fat but ensuring you don't cut into the flesh, I do 7 slashes one way and then turn the duck around 180 degrees and do 7 slashes the other way (again making sure you only cut through the fat and not the flesh) so effectively you have a criss-cross pattern in the skin.

Turn now to your dumpling filling. In 1 tbsp oil cook your shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent but without any colour.  Add the mushrooms, a good grind of black pepper (6 twists) and a pinch of salt.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until all of the water that comes out of the mushrooms has been absorbed.

Once your mushrooms are cooked, add the water chestnuts, soy sauce and hoisin.  Mix through and put to one side.

Line a wok with foil and put in the smoking mixture and mix, put the heat on medium. Cook until it starts to smoke, regularly mixing through.

Now, if you are smoking in a rack on your wok with a wok lid, your duck will take less time.  If you are using a bamboo steamer, your duck will take slightly longer.  If you are using a bamboo steamer line the lid with foil to try to reduce how much smoke/heat escapes.  Put your duck breasts in, skin side down and put on the lid.

Once your wok starts to smoke, either put your steamer basket in or put the duck breasts on a metal rack and put on the wok lid.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until rare, then remove from heat. Do check your duck after 7 minutes as how cooked it will be will be determined by the heat.  If you are using a wok lid then this is the point your duck should be ready.  Your duck breast should have a smoked smell and should be slightly tinged brown.

While your duck is smoking, start your orange sauce.  Put the sugar in a cold saucepan and melt it down slowly, it should be the colour of dark toffee. Add the vinegar and simmer until completely mixed with the sugar and no sugar crystals remain. If when you add the vinegar the sugar turns to toffee, don’t worry, just use your spoon to stir through until the toffee melts, which is likely to happen when the liquid heats.  Add the orange juice and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half.

Meanwhile, take a wonton wrapper in your hand and brush the edges with water. Place a tbsp of the mushroom mix in the centre of the wrappers and bring the edges together to make a triangle.  Gently but firmly seal the edges together. Put a drop of water on one of the side ’arms’ and bring the edges together and firmly push together.

Get a large frying pan and put your duck breast in, skin side down.  Put on the heat to medium low and cook until the skin is rendered down, dark golden and crispy. Turn the duck breast over and cook for a further minute, then remove and leave to rest for a few minutes.  Don’t turn your duck more than once and don’t overcook, the breast should feel springy when you touch it and is likely to take around 15 minutes. Rest for 7 minutes.

In your bamboo steamer, place your dumplings and pak choi, I tend to do the dumplings in the lower basket and the pak choi in the higher basket.  Cook for 7 minutes.

The sauce should now be ready, add the butter and some seasoning. Taste for balance, adjusting where necessary.

Cut the duck breast in half straight down the middle so you have 2 long pieces. Place the pak choi on your serving plate and put your duck against the pak choi.  Place the dumplings on the plate and be generous with the sauce.

- Inspired by Pete Evans smoked duck dish that appeared on Series 1 of Masterchef Australia