Phyllis
Louise Harris
November
2015
One
of my favorite dishes to cook for parties is duck smoked in a wok. It can be
made ahead, served at room temperature and tastes wonderful! Wok smoking is
also good for chicken, pheasant, Cornish game hens or turkey parts, and it is
the perfect dish for beautiful autumn days and even cold winter nights. If
there are any leftovers, they are also good. So how can you go wrong?
It
is not, however, a last minute choice since it requires steaming the fowl,
chilling it and then smoking it in the wok on the stovetop. Once finished it
will keep in the refrigerator for several days. (I even took smoked duck to
Arizona one winter and it survived the trip very well.) Serve it with Chinese
steamed buns brushed with hoison sauce and scallion brushes for an absolutely
delicious dish.
We
featured smoked duck and pheasant in “Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of
Minnesota since 1875” along with a recipe for steamed buns. The pheasant recipe
was inspired by Bryan Anderson an avid hunter who enjoys the sport as well as
the food it provides. He and his wife Carolyn supplied the pheasant we used to
create a smoked version that was great (also in the book). Did you know that
pheasant were originally imported to Minnesota from China in1905? Today, there
are nearly half a million pheasant available in the state each year for
harvesting by hunters like Bryan.
Basically
the key to wok smoking is to use an iron wok (not stainless or non-stick) and
line it with foil. Tear a hole in the foil at the center of the wok and place
hickory chips in that hole so they rest directly on the bottom of the wok. Place
the pre-cooked fowl on a rack or crossed wooden chopsticks in the wok then
cover with a dome of foil and securely pinch it to the bottom foil creating an
enclosed smoker. Place the wok on a stove burner and turn the heat to high to
get the smoke going quickly. Smoke for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it
sit for another 5 – 10 minutes before opening the foil. The result will be
beautifully browned and smoked fowl ready to serve.
The
steamed buns we normally serve with the duck are also easy to make, freeze
nicely and turn the smoked fowl into a delicious sandwich. Even the scallion
brushes can be made ahead and stored in cold water in the refrigerator. At
serving time, slice the fowl, reheat the buns and set them all up for dining in
a matter of minutes. Absolutely delicious!
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Read more about Asian food
in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors: Changing the
Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on amazon.com.
Watch the EMMY® award winning “Asian
Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check local TV listings
for broadcast times or view the show streaming online at:
http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=24552&select_index=0&popup=yes#0
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