Quack ~ Smoked Duck?

[SkellyCA]

Lets talk duck.

So I bough a duck at Costco today and I want to smoke it.

How much wood?
How long?
Will I need to add more wood?

Good recopies please?

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[UWFSAE]

Apple and cherry go really well with duck ... I'd avoid hickory with this one.  Is this a whole duck, duck breasts, etc.?  If whole, are you butchering it or smoking whole?

With duck breast, that fat layer needs plenty of help (and time) to get it to render properly so it depends on how your final product will be (duck pastrami, sliced and served, etc.).  If it's a whole duck I'd do it like beer can chicken ... perhaps a fruit beer like Abita Purple Haze or Woodchuck Cider, set the temp to 210 or so and let it do it's thing.

Skin won't be crispy so a trip under the broiler will be wise, whether butchered or whole.  Even sliced breast would benefit from a high heat saute in a non-stick pan, I'd think.

[SkellyCA]

This is a whole duck. I plan to use it for lunch for a few days. Maybe make sandwiches.

[DivotMaker]

I've done a duck, Skelly, but my goose has been cooked a few times!    Let us know what you end up doing with Donald - pics would be great, too! 

[UWFSAE]

OK, if it's a whole duck then I'd try a few things.  First, if you're not used to duck taste (gamier than chicken or turkey, obviously) or if you want to increase moisture for a slow smoke then brining for 24 hours seems prudent.  I'd go with liquid that fits the desired flavor profile (maybe 3 cups of apple juice, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup of kosher salt plus spices like cracked black pepper and minced garlic).

Then, I'd do a simple rub (any homemade or commercial poultry rub) and use either yellow mustard or molasses as a binding agent.  Then get a can of Woodchuck Cider or Abita Purple Haze (or even apple juice in a beer can) and use half of it in the can to do a beercan duck.  Use 3 oz of apple wood or so and go low and slow until it hits 165 (at least that what I did for duck breasts).  Cooking it so the fat renders won't let you crisp the skin; that's a high heat application ... you may even want to prick the skin of the duck so the fat can weep a bit.

You're going to render a ton of good fat so I'd put a pan beneath the duck to catch it all; that stuff is liquid gold; you'll need to strain it through cheese cloth (even coffee filters will work) but it will be utterly amazing for flavoring or frying.

[SkellyCA]

I love duck! I try to always get it when we order Chinese. I've roasted several ducks. They always seem to pop up in the local grocery store about Thanksgiving time around here So I've been getting one the last several years and roasted it.

Now that I have this new smoker. I want to try smoking one. That sounds like a goo recipe!

[SkellyCA]

I found a recipe using maple syrup. I might try that. Sounds interesting.

[UWFSAE]

Hmmm ... I think that the maple syrup sweetness, like the use of molasses, would go well with the duck.  Please post a write up and pics once you're done ... I'm definitely curious to see how this turns out.

[SkellyCA]

Smokekd Duck:

Here it is:

I let the duck dry out for a couple hours on the counter.
I used a corn poker/holder thing to prick the skin but not the meat.
Put salt all over it, inside and out.
Painted it with some good maple syrup
I put a small baking dish on the lower rack to catch the yum yum drippings.
I used Apple wood.@ about 215 degrees for 4 hours.
Then 10 minutes in a 500 degree grill, lid closed.

It came out very moist, nice and pink in the middle, very tasty. The skin wasn't crispy like I hoped for. The syrup gave it a darker color.

I'm going to make sandwiches with it for the next couple days.

[UWFSAE]

Not too shabby at all.  Out of curiosity, how much duck fat were you able to gather?

Also, I wonder if a kitchen propane torch would be sufficient to quickly crisp up that skin without overcooking the duck ...

[SkellyCA]

I got almost 1 cup of fat. I don't have a kitchen torch, so I can't answer that part.

[UWFSAE]

That cup of duck fat is a rare and wonderful thing.  If you want to save it for something special, it actually freezes quite well after you strain it ... you can keep it at least six months that way, longer if you cool it to a solid and then vacuum seal.

Also ... cooking up some hand cut french fries in 1:2 ratio of duck fat/canola oil ... heaven.  There's a place here in Houston called The Burger Guys that do all their double cooked fries in duck fat/oil mix and they're worth the trip alone.

[SkellyCA]

If I don't use the fat today I'll freeze it. Those fries sound wonderful!

I just might make a dipping sauce for my sandwiches. I think today is a Philly Style Duck Sandwich. I love Philly Cheesesteaks, so this sounds great to me.

[UWFSAE]

Actually, as long as you have a tight fitting container, you can keep filtered duck fat in the fridge for a month or two with no problem; just be sure it's a very tight lid as it will pick up flavors from other food very quickly.

The Philly Duck sounds tasty ... that alone deserves its own post.

[SkellyCA]

Philly Style Smoked Duck Sandwich...

This is the recipe I used(loosley). Except my store didn't have Italian Rolls so I bought Dutch Crust Hoagie Rolls. Instead of thinly sliced I just cut it into thin strips. I nuked it for 20 seconds just to melt the cheese. Also I used to the duck fat to make a gravy and poured it on top. I know I said it would be a dipping sauce but it was easier just to pour it on top. LOL

It was great! I'll have another one tomorrow.

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/recipes/philly-style-duck-sandwiches