This duck had been taking up space in my freezer for months quite some time. I had a day off from work, so planned a relaxing day of cooking. That’s what normal people do, right? Cook on their day off?

I’ve wanted to try smoked duck for a while now. Have done a leg of lamb, salmon, trout, chicken, nuts (almonds), chile peppers (red jalapeño and Espelette, the latter a pepper from the Basque region of France) and a whole chicken in the smoker — all with good success. I should mention that I have an electric smoker, which is by no means hardcore, but I especially like for its ease of use.

Smoking is all about low and slow — low heat for several hours, at a minimum. The great thing I’ve found about the smoker is that the meat comes out incredibly moist, with little work involved other than an investment in time. The duck was in the smoker for four hours, but you can certainly multitask while it’s smoking away, just stay close by and give it a check from time to time.

Prior to its stay in the smoker, I gave the duck a ‘bath’ for a couple days in a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, pure (very dark) maple syrup, ginger, garlic, and spices. The marinade gave the bird a nice sweet-salty flavor, in addition, of course, to the smokiness it picks up from being in the smoker (in this case, with hickory briquettes).

With four hours on my hands, I decided to make a whole meal of the smoked duck with the addition of some homemade plum sauce, whole wheat tortillas, thinly sliced scallions, and a side of sautéed greens. All and all, rather tasty if I do say so myself. We picked the carcass clean. And on that note, will be using said carcass to make some really tasty duck stock, yum! #wastenot

Low and slow, 4 hours at 200F…

I also added some almonds, tossed in a little olive oil, spices, and salt, to the smoker for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Smoked Duck with Homemade Plum Sauce

1 (5-pound or so) whole duck
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus extra for brushing the duck
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger

Pat duck dry. With a fork, pierce the skin all over. Combine the soy, maple syrup, sesame oil, Chinese five-spice, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Place the duck in a large ziploc bag. Add the marinade and rub all over. Place the ziploc bag in a large bowl as a precaution against the ziploc bag accidentally opening. Allow the duck to marinate for 1 to 2 days, turning the duck from time to time to ensure all sides are coated.

Heat an outdoor smoker to 200F. Smoke the duck with your choice of wood (apple, cherry, oak, pecan, hickory, etc.) for four hours. Brush with a little more maple syrup after three hours. Remove from the smoker. Let rest at least 10 minutes. Serve.

Spicy Plum Sauce

1  pound plums, pit removed, roughly chopped
1/4  cup  brown sugar
2  tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1  teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1/4  teaspoon ground cloves
1 whole *habanero
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Over medium heat in a saucepan, cook the chopped plums, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, cloves, and *habanero until it reaches a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the mix for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until the plum softens and the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and discard the habanero. Add the soy sauce and stir to combine. Using a food processor, pulse the sauce to desired smoothness.

*To infuse a dish with less heat but a ton of flavor, add the whole pepper into the pot and remove before serving. For slightly more heat, cut a slit into the pepper and add it whole.

**Want it spicier, add an additional pinch of cayenne pepper powder to taste.