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Smoked Duck or Pheasant

Passamaquoddy-Maple Sugar

 Two 3-pound pheasants, or one 5-6 pound duck
 ¼ cup Sakari Botanicals salt of your choosing
 ¼ cup Passamaquoddy Maple maple sugar
 4 cups water
 2 cups Wozupi or Passamaquoddy Maple maple syrup, boiled down to 1 cup
1

Rinse and thoroughly clean the pheasants or duck. In a large container, combine salt, sugar and water until dissolved. Immerse the birds in the container and brine in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours. Remove and pat dry. Allow the birds to sit for 1-3 hours until the skin is dry to the touch.

Smoke the birds over hard wood (hickory) for at least 3 hours at 200° to 250°F. After 1 hour, baste with the maple syrup every 30 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the size and type of bird. Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. It should read 160°F when the birds are ready.

Remove to a cooling rack, baste one more time and cool.