Whole Cherry Smoked Duck
A whole duck is enhanced with cherry wood smoke and an aromatic cherry marinade. The fatty duck meat particularly benefits from the intense smoky flavor and the fruity-sweet glaze. During the long smoking process, the subcutaneous fat slowly renders away and the meat becomes extraordinarily tender.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Mix Marinade and Prepare Duck
30 minutes + 4-12 hours marinatingMix all marinade ingredients until smooth. Wash duck inside and out, pat dry. Pierce skin all around with a toothpick. Massage marinade inside, outside, and under the breast skin. Marinate covered in the refrigerator.
Prepare Smoker
30 minutesPreheat smoker to 120 °C. Prepare cherry and plum wood chunks. Place a drip pan with some water under the grate. Remove duck from the refrigerator 1 hour before smoking.
Smoking
3.5-4.5 hoursPlace duck breast-side down on the grate or mount on a vertical rack. Smoke at 120-135 °C and baste with remaining marinade every 60 minutes. Measure core temperature in the thickest part of the breast – target 74 °C.
Crisping and Resting
20 minutesIn the last 15 minutes, increase temperature to 150 °C for crispy skin. Remove duck, loosely cover with aluminum foil, and let rest 15-20 minutes before carving.
Pro Tip
Stand the duck on a vertical rack or beer can so the fat can drain evenly. A drip pan underneath prevents fat fires in the smoker.
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