Spiced Smoked Tea Shortbread with Gingered Orange

Ingredients

Lacquered Black Bean Duck Confit

• 1/2
  
  cup water
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon lapsang souchong (or 1 teabag)
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons shallots, minced
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon garlic, minced
  
• 2
  
  teaspoons ginger, minced
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed, chopped
  
• 1
  
  tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon maple syrup
  
• 1/2
  
  orange (zested, juiced)
  
• 5
  
  ounces confit duck meat
  
• 
  
  cilantro for garnish
  

Smoked Tea Shortbread with Gingered Orange

• 1 1/4
  
  cups AP flour
  
• 1/4
  
  cup brown sugar
  
• 1 1/2
  
  teaspoons lapsang souchong tea
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 4
  
  peppercorns
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon szechuan peppercorns
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon whole coriander
  
• 2
  
  cloves
  
• 8
  
  ounces unsalted butter
  
• 1
  
  cup fresh orange juice (zest first and reserve)
  
• 2
  
  teaspoons grated ginger
  
• 2
  
  teaspoons orange zest
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 1/2
  
  cup sugar
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon lapsang souchong (or 1 teabag)
  
• 3
  
  eggs
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon baking powder
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons flour
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon salt
  

Directions

Lacquered Black Bean Duck Confit

1. Boil water and steep teabag for about 5 minutes. If using confit duck legs, remove skins and render with any fat you can scrape off in a pan. You can save the crispy skin for garnish (or snacking). Cook shallots, ginger, garlic and black beans in fat for a few minutes until beginning to brown and very fragrant. Add tea, soy, syrup, juice and zest and simmer a bit while you pull meat off the bone into 1? or so chunks. Add meat to sauce and cook, stirring until sauce has just turned into a glaze. Remove from heat.
2. Place a small piece of duck on an orange square and garnish with cilantro. These are best served right away while they are still warm or room temperature and still a bit crispy, but can also be gently warmed the next day.

Smoked Tea Shortbread with Gingered Orange

1. Heat oven to 350. Line an 8″ baking dish with foil and grease with butter or cooking spray. Mix flour, sugar, tea and salt in a bowl. Toast spices briefly in a pan until fragrant then grind to a powder. Stir into flour. Cut butter into flour and mix until it resembles a medium crumb. Press into baking dish and bake about 18 minutes or until brown.
2. Meanwhile, heat orange juice and ginger in a small pot and reduce to 1/4 c. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, tea, salt and zest, then stir in eggs. Strain juice into egg mixture and mix until smooth. Pour over hot crust and return to oven until set and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Gently peel off foil and cut into small squares.