Smoked Duck with Grilled Summer Peaches in Port

SUMMER PEACHES + SMOKED DUCK = Winning!

It's time to bust out the summer smoker and get your grilling on ya'll! Smoked duck is amazing and this port wine sauce takes this fresh fun summer recipe over the top!

Say Goodbye to roast duck. Say HELLO to this Smoked Duck Love!!!

INGREDIENTS: 

5-pound duck

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh peppercorn blend

2 fist-sized chunks apple smoking wood

6 Fresh ripe peaches

1 cup Tawny port wine

3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup honey

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

½ cup butter

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Serve with a fine Pinot Noir and share with the ones you love.

PREPARATION:

Dry brine the duck:

Unwrap the duck, remove everything from the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the neck skin just below the nub of the neck left on the duck. Poke the duck skin all over with a paring knife, so the fat can escape. Poke through the skin, but not into the meat – I poke with a very flat angle so I stay away from the meat. Sprinkle the duck with the salt and pepper, inside and out. Set in a baking dish, and put it in the bottom of the refrigerator, uncovered. Refrigerate at least overnight, preferably 24 to 48 hours.

Set the grill up for indirect low heat:

Set your grill up for indirect low heat, 250°F, with a drip pan on one side of the grill and the fire as far over on the other side as you can get it. In my kettle grill, I open the bottom vents a crack, with the blades of the ash sweeper covering ¾ of the rectangular holes. I make a tight pile of 80 unlit coals on 1/3 of the charcoal grate, about three coals deep. (3/4 of a charcoal chimney full.) Nestle the smoking wood in the coals. Next, I light 10 coals in my chimney starter; when the coals are lit and covered with gray ash, I pour them on top of the unlit coals. Then I set the drip pan on the other side of the charcoal grate, add my grill grate, and brush it clean. I put the lid on the grill immediately and set the top vent to half open.

Grill smoke the duck:

Put the duck on the grill grate over the drip pan, breast side up, and close the lid. Adjust the top vent to stabilize the temperature at roughly 250°F; let the temperature settle for fifteen minutes between vent adjustments. Once the temperature settles down, check the grill every hour and tweak the vent if necessary – a little more open for higher heat, a little more closed for lower heat. (The grill temperature is going to move around a lot; 250°F is my target, but I expect it to bounce around between 225°F and 300°F. And, keep the lid closed as much as possible – every time you lift the lid, heat will escape and the air you let in will cause the coals to heat up.) After an hour and a half, rotate the duck so the other side is facing the fire. The duck is done when it reaches a temperature of 175°F in the deepest part of the thigh, about 3 hours.

Make the sauce:

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the wine, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Cut the peaches in halve and remove the cores. Place each peach face down over the direct heat on the grill. Turn them on both sides until they are golden, a little charred and soft. Remove from grill and set aside. Once cooled, dice a couple of the peaches and add to the pan.  Let the mixture simmer on low for 7 minutes until it is a nice sauce consistency.

Serve:

Remove the duck to a platter and let it rest for ten minutes. Carve and add the grilled halved peaches and spoon the sauce over the entire masterpiece of yum!