Both poultry and Appeldoorn’s Tea are staples in our home, but not two things we have ever thought to combine. Enter Lindsay, our guest chef who also happened to stop by when I was making this cake and offer me some pro tips! If you find yourself wondering what to do with your Appeldoorn’s Tea this month (a problem we don’t have), she has an idea all cooked up for you.

Apeldoorn’s Asian Duck

INGREDIENTS
·         6 cups water
·         ½ cup Apeldoorn’s House Blend Black Tea
·         3” piece of ginger, roughly chopped
·         6” piece of cinnamon
·         2 star anise
·         1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
·         3 cloves garlic, minced
·         2-3 green onions, chopped
·         4 tablespoons brown sugar
·         ¼ cup soy sauce
·         1 whole duck or 4 duck breasts

DIRECTIONS
Combine water, tea, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add the garlic and green onions, and let steep for 30-45 minutes..
In a large glass or plastic container, combine the tea, brown sugar, and soy sauce, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  
Reserve 1 cup of the liquid and use the rest to marinate the duck/duck breasts for 4-6 hours.
Remove duck from the liquid 1 hour before cooking. Rinse and pat dry.
Prepare the duck/duck breasts to your liking, using the reserved marinade to baste the bird or as a base for sauce.

Enjoy!