Mary’s Organic Sous Vide Duck Breast
Pepper Jelly, Thai Back Rice Pilaf, Braised Bok Choy, Fresh Black Berries
A Word From Chef Brian
Of all the amazing ways to prepare duck, Sous Vide is my new all-time favorite. It’s because you don’t have to worry about drying out the lean duck meat and you always get perfect temperature results and there is very little messy frying at the stove top. Another bonus is you will be able to spend more time with your dinner guest. If you don’t have a Sous Vide, then use one of many sautéed duck breast recipes on the internet.
Wine Note From Chef Brian
Those of you that have followed me for years know that duck is my favorite fowl and it’s my favorite choice to pair with wine. Duck has a wonderful layer of tasty fat that on its own is highly prized for its many uses in the French kitchen. This wonderful component of the duck is why it’s so fun to pair with wine. Wine is a natural companion for duck’s fattiness because it’s the acidity of the wine that cleanse your palate and prepares you for that first bite flavor time after time as you switch back and forth between the duck and wine.
Ingredients - Serves 2 to 4
2 whole boneless skin on duck breast dried for 24 hours uncovered in the fridge.
½ cup any pepper jelly
1 cup demi glaze or brown sauce
2 cups cooked black rice pilaf or any rice of your choice
1 large whole bok choy chopped into course pieces
8 large black berries
¼ cup fresh pea tendrils
salt and white pepper
2 to 4 pre heated large white plates
Method
Remove duck breast from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Salt and peppers both side and then place duck breast skin side up on a plate and put into your refrigerator for 24 hours to dry out and tighten the skin.
Remove the duck and place in a Cryovac and seal under pressure. Place the Cryovac duck in your sous-vide at 140 degrees for 1 ½ or hold for up to 2 ½ hours for the final stage.
While the duck is resting in the sous vide, prepare the sauce by taking the jelly and adding the demi glaze together and heat and stir with a whisk to incorporate the two components into and emulsified sauce. Now strain the sauce into a bowl and hold for the final stage.
Prepare rice as per its directions then steam bok choy for 10 minutes and hold.
Now take the duck from the sous vide, open with scissors and drain the jus into a bowl. Place duck breast skin side down into a high sided fry pan and place on medium high heat until the skin starts to crisp. After 4 minutes turn duck over for 1 to 2 minutes and then remove. With the pan still on the heat add the duck jus and sauce and reduce together for 3 minutes.
Assembly
Slice the duck breast skin side up in the bias. Spoon ½ the warm sauce onto the warmed plate then fan the sliced duck breast and place on top of sauce. Mold the rice in a ramekin and unmold onto the pate and place the steamed bok choy and garnish with the four black berries and pea tendrils to complete your presentation.
Our Element 79 Vineyards 2019 Estate Zinfandel is an excellent choice for this dish. One of the key reasons is that our winemaker Scott Johnson adheres to winemaking techniques that bring out the best of our estate fruit which means great balance with proper natural acidity.