Help smoking whole DUCK?

Kill it then Grill it

Any one have an idea on smoking a whole duck?I don't really have experience at cooking duck. Is smoking duck even make a good meal? I do chickens all the time about an hour per pound they turn out great.

vidalia1

Here is a little help...sort of

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=1122

gdenby

Duck is usually delicious.

The big deal about ducks is the amount of fat under the skin. They skin must be pricked all over, or cross-cut to let the copious fat render into a drip pan. The sound of the fat boiling in the pan is quite noticeable.

I usually cut off any extra fat and/or loose skin. I render that, and save the fat for frying 'taters. Sometimes I'll brine the duck, but just to add flavor. I usually cook them at a little higher temperature than chicken, with less smoke. That helps push out more of the fat.

I often toss some citrus in the cavity. Fruit flavors seem to go well with the rich red flesh.

Richard Fl

Here is one way.

Duck, Whole, Richard Fl


INGREDIENTS:
1 3-5 Lb. Duck, Whole
MARINADE
6-8 Whole Garlic Cloves
1/2 Medium Onion, prefer sweet, but they all work
1/2 Cup Rosemary, Fresh, if available
1 1/2-2 Cups Italian Salad Dressing
Black pepper, Fresh Ground, to taste
2-3 Lemons, Juice only
1/2 Cup Teriyaki Sauce, Optional but great if you like the flavor
½ Tsp Chinese 5-Spice, Optional, use sparingly because it can overpower the duck!!




Directions:
1 Place the ingredients in a blender and course puree, save some of the whole rosemary to sprinkle on the duck and fire. Pierce the duck with many tiny drain holes. This helps the marinade get in and the grease to get out. In a large container marinate 4-6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator
2 I have a large BGE and I get it set up for an indirect with drip pan beneath with water, beer or apple juice, 2-3 cups. Get BGE to 325°-350°F. Place duck on a vertical rack and cook about 60-90 minutes. Have no clue about internal temperature Baste every 20 minutes or so with leftover marinade from drip pan. After 20 years of doing this in the oven and now BGE for last 4, I just kinda eyeball the bird like other poultry for doneness. CAREFUL not to dry out. Or you can slow cook 225F-250F for 4-5 hours indirect.
3 If you have fresh rosemary the left over branches are great for smoke. For wood: I have used apple, hickory, cherry, guava and a few others I have forgotten about. I do not like a lot of smoke because the duck can be over powered and it is an acquired flavor just to like duck for many people.
SIDE DISHES
1 Fresh asparagus, Uncle Ben's Original Wild rice w/chopped water chestnuts, pine nuts, and diced scallions. Ronrico has a pecan flavored rice in most grocery stores that is to die for with this dish. Also a couple of sweet onions quartered in heavy aluminum foil with pat butter, little powdered chicken boullion, pepper, tightly wrapped and placed on BGE for 30-45 minutes until soft to touch, IT'S HOT.
2 Nice bottle of your favorite wine.


Recipe Type
Main Dish, Poultry

Recipe Source
Author: Richard Howe

Source: BGE Forum, Richard Fl, 1990/05/25

01/29/06--Cooked a 6.3# bird today, marinated overnight added 4oz soy sauce and 1/2 tsp 5 spice chinese seasoning and placed vertical indirect @300 for 1 1/2 hours, breast temp @140, removed indirect and set direct @ 300 for 30 min temp 140'ish. shut down BGE and left bird in 1/2 hour. Total time in BGE 2 1/2-2 3/4 hours. Placed tapioca starch of skin and it was good, but due to low temps did not get crispy, my choice. This internal temp 140-145 does not dry out the duck.

Griffin

Kill it then Grill it wrote:

Is smoking duck even make a good meal?

I have no experience cooking duck, but Sat night I had the smoked duck at NOLA's, one of Emeril's restaurants in New Orleans and it was out of this world!

fishlessman

these were done low and slow til the skin gets crunchy, somewhere around 5 hours at 220 dome. i bring the internals way up, somewhere around 200 and have a sauce redy to serve it with as its drier than a roasted duck, i like them cooked either way, but low and slow can be good.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=238156&catid=1

smak

I actually did some ducks a few weeks back. I based it off this peking duck recipe...

http://www.food.com/recipe/peking-duck-38023

Also, looking at other peking duck recipes they loosen the skin from the meat/fat via a bicycle pump (one person inserts the pump under the skin and a 2nd pumps it up). I used a small air compressor

The end result was a tasty bird. However the skin was not completely *crispy*. I think I could have done the first step on the stove a little better as I did not have an appropriate pot. Secondly, it was a rainy day so I think the drying needed to be longer because of the humidity in the air.

I will be trying this again.

-smak