Thai Smoked Duck with Gravy
Instead of a turkey for thanksgiving, I went the duck route. I also wanted to do a Thai inspired dinner. So I made a smoked Thai duck with a rich gravy. The duck was stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, and ginger; the outside rubbed with salt, sugar, and ground ginger. The duck was smoked with hickory wood for 4 hours until the fat rendered out and the skin turned a dark golden brown.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
- food processor
Ingredients
- 5-6 lb whole duck
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3” ginger cut in half
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp sugar
Gravy
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1” ginger peeled
- 5 cilantro sprigs
- 2 tbsp fermented soybean paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp five spice powder
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
Wood Chips
- hickory
Instructions
- Season the inside cavity of the duck with salt. Stuff with lemongrass, ginger, and garlic cloves. Prick the skin all over with a knife. Rub the outside with salt, ground ginger, and sugar. Let dry out in the refrigerator overnight on a rack.
- Let your duck sit at room temperature for 2 hours before smoking. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Throw the duck in the smoker.
- Smoke the duck for 4 hours.
- Let the duck rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Gravy
- Place the garlic, ginger, cilantro, white pepper, soybean paste, and 5 spice powder in a food processor.
- Process into a paste.
- Heat up a tsp of cooking oil in a small pot and sauté the paste for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock. Pour in the soy sauces, honey, and coconut milk. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until thickened.
