Spice Paste Rubbed Smoked Duck


 

K Kruger

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
This was last night's dinner.



Spice paste ingredients:

1 T achiote seeds

1 T coriander seeds

1 T black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 t cumin seeds

2 t Mexican oregano

1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

5 cloves garlic

1 T Turbinado sugar

1 T evoo

1/4 c pineapple vinegar (or use cider vin)

juice of 3 calamondins (or use 2 T fresh o.j. + 1 T lime juice)

2 T water

2 t table salt



1 duck



In a small dry skillet over med-high heat, toast the coriander, peppercorns, cumin, cloves and cinnamon stick till fragrant, stirring frequently, about 1-2 min, then immediately remove the spices from the pan to a plate or paper towel to cool a bit.

Grind the spices with the other paste ingredients till a very smooth paste is formed. It should be about the consistency of slightly thin mayo; reserve.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prick the skin of the duck all over making sure you prick all the way through the skin and underlying fat but not the meat. You cannot prick too much. Dip the duck into the pot of boiling water and leave it there for 1 min. (I tie kitchen twine around the tail to do this.) Remove the duck to a tray and allow the water to return to a boil; repeat two more times.

Pat the duck dry with paper towels inside and out and paint the underside of the duck with the spice paste using a pastry brush. Flip the duck breast-side up, place on a cookie cooling rack on a sheetpan and paint the duck with some of the paste. Place the duck, uncovered, in the fridge for 30-60 min then remove the duck and paint it again over the breast, legs, and thighs and paint inside the large cavity as well. Use all the paste.

Return the duck to the fridge and allow to air-dry overnight.

Smoke at 350 (I used a little cherry and a little orange wood) till the internal temp of a thigh hits 177. Rest 10 min, tented with foil.
The skin will be flavorful with good texture, imo, but if you'd like it crispy you can cut the duck into pieces (I carve out the duck breast, leaving the bone on, split the breast, then cut each breast half into 3 pieces), plus have the two leg quarters for a total of 8 pieces, not including the wings. You can also simply split the duck in half and cool it quickly in the fridge. To reheat, put the halves skin-side down in a large lightly oiled skillet over high heat. Saute about 2-3 min, flip the breast to skin up, then place the skillet in a 500 oven till the duck is heated through and the skin crisps, about 10-15 min.
 
Thanks for the recipe Kevin. I've been thinking about trying a duck for some time, but haven't found a decent recipe. This one looks great. I'm just curious about the spices - how did you grind them into a paste? With an electric grinder or mortar & pestle? Also, did you apply this paste to the underside of the skin, the outside or both?
 
Russ-

I use the Asia Kitchen machine by Sumeet. If you do lots of grinding of dry spices, herbs, legumes, or make lots of pastes (or want to) I highly recommend it. The less expensive Multi-grind unit works well too.

To make this type of paste without a specialty machine use an electric grinder (like a coffee mill) for the grinding and a blender for the paste. The coriander, bay, clove, oregano, cinnamon and peppercorns can be ground together or you can use already ground spices if you wish. Achiote seeds are very hard but can be ground successfully. Use a little more than called for, say a teaspoon more, and grind them longer than you'd expect, shaking the grinder now and then. Dump the powder into a small sieve or flour sifter and sift out any larger pieces. You definitely want powder--achiote will not soften when cooked.

When all the spices are ground make the paste in a blender. Chop the garlic finely first, put everything in the blender then puree, stopping the blender periodically to scrape down the sides. Use a little more juice or water, if necessary, so you end up with a smooth puree.

I seved the duck with garlic rice, chile-rubbed fried ripe plantains, avocado slices topped with pico de gallo and chunks of fresh chilled pineapple.
 
Well I did not have a clue what achiote seeds are. Did a search and found out about marinades, Mayan and Yucatan culture AND Peruvian aphrodesiacs! Kruger sometimes leads me into more than I want to know.
 

 

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