Early Preparation (One Week Out):

The Cure

Wash the duck(s) and remove excess fat from the body inside and out, leaving skin on.

Pierce the breasts and thighs well.
In a large container, mix the above cure and rub all over bird, both inside and out.

Place lid on curing container and cure for 6 days in refrigerator. While curing, rub all surfaces many times again.

Final Preparation (One Day Out):

Rinse ducks well with cool water and blot dry using paper towels.

Stuff body cavity with crumpled newspaper that has been wrapped in paper towels.

Now, wrap duck with paper towels and wrap again with newspaper. Place a paper towel and newspaper under the duck to absorb liquids.

Store overnight in refrigerator.

Smoking The Duck (Morning):

Use butcher’s twine to secure the duck. Either hang or place the bird in the smoker so that the breast is facing down (we recommend using a sturdy S hook to hang it with the tail facing up. It allows the smoke to flow more easily throughout the body cavity).

Dry the duck in your Bradley smoker without smoke for one hour at 140°F. The point of this is to get rid of the clamminess of the skin.

Now you are ready for smoke. At the lowest possible temperature, smoke the duck for around three hours, using a wood of choice (fruit, nut). Turn up the temperature to 150°F and continue smoking for three more hours.

Cooking The Duck (Evening):

In a preheated kitchen oven at 350°F, place duck on an elevated wire rack inside a pan. The pan should be at least one inch deep to collect the melted fat.

Cover with aluminum foil and roast until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 170°F. You may want to check both breasts and thighs for doneness in case your oven cooks hotter on one side than the other.

We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.