Ingredients:

1 duck (5 to 6 pounds), thawed for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator if frozen

For the smoking mixture:

• 2 cups cherry wood smoking chips
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup black tea
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anises

For the rub:

Instructions:

Wash the duck inside and out and blot dry.

Make the rub: Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, five-spice powder, coriander, and cinnamon in small bowl and stir to mix. Season the front and main cavities of the duck with half the rub. Brush the outside of the duck all over with sesame oil. Sprinkle the outside of the duck all over with the remaining rub, rubbing it into the skin. Note: Usually, I don’t bother trussing the duck as you’ll get better absorption of the smoke flavor if the cavity is left open. But you can for a nicer presentation.

Prick the skin of the duck all over with the tines of a sharp fork. (Do not pierce the meat.) This gives you crisper duck skin as the fat is channeled away.

Make the smoking mixture: Place the wood chips, rice, tea, sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anises, and tangerine peel in a bowl and stir to mix.

Set up your smoker following the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to 300 degrees. Place the duck on the rack with a drip pan underneath it. Add half the smoking mixture to the fire or wood chamber. Smoke the duck to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 2 hours.

Increase the smoker heat to 350 degrees (if possible). Brush the duck skin all over with fat from the drip pan or more sesame oil. Add the remaining cherry wood and smoking mixture and continue smoking until the skin is dark and crisp and the duck is cooked through, 175 to 180 degrees, another 1 to 1-1/2 hours. (The Chinese eat their duck well done.) There are two ways to test for doneness. Wiggle one of the drumsticks: the leg should move freely. Or check the internal temperature of the meat in the thickest part of the leg with an instant read meat thermometer.

Note: If your smoker does not allow for temperatures higher than 250 degrees, increase the cooking time by 30 minutes to 1 hour.