Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Advanced preparation: the duck corn husk pouches can be prepared 3 days in advance, and grilled at the last minute
Remove the leathery-dried outer husks from the ears of corn, and then cut both ends of the cob. Carefully pull the remaining leaves off each cob, and place them in a large bowl. Reserve the cobs. Cover the leaves with tepid water, and put the bowl aside for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, score the skin of the duck breasts in a crisscross pattern, without cutting the meat. Season with smoked salt and pink pepper, and reserve.
Take the leaves out of the water, pat them dry, and arrange into four rectangles. Separate half the tea leaves and spread them in the centre of each rectangle. Moisten with a little maple syrup and cover each rectangle with half a duck breast. Top with the rest of the tea leaves and moisten again with a little maple syrup. Roll the duck breasts in the husks making sure they are snugly wrapped. Seal both ends of each pouch tightly with kitchen twine, wrap in aluminum foil and reserve.
Preheat the barbecue on medium heat. As soon as the grill is really hot, clean it with a barbecue brush. Place the duck pouches and the cobs of corn on the grill and cook for 10 minutes. Take the aluminum foil off the duck pouches and continue to cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. The duck breast is at its beast when still pink in the middle.
Immediately remove the duck and corn from the grill. Serve with your favourite chutney and vegetable rice.
Recipe from Nicolas Vallée, professional chef