In 2013 at the International Food Blogging Conference in Seattle, I attended a sous vide workshop on this fairly new technique (at least for the home cook) of prepping food, but unfortunately forgot about it soon after I got home. After hearing a few friends rave about their sous vides, I asked Brad for one this past Christmas, and he did not disappoint.

In a relatively short time, I am now hooked on this cooking method. For those not familiar with sous vide, it’s generally any kind of cooking that occurs in a temperature controlled water bath.  Since the food never gets hotter than the temperature of the water, there’s very little risk of over-cooking! Here’s a link that explains it in detail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous_vide

I’ve cooked duck breasts in the past with much success, but preparing them in a sous vide water bath is a game changer. This duck came out perfectly – medium rare and so, so tender with no guess work at all. The citrus-blueberry port wine sauce provides another layer of fabulous flavor to this dish and it is so easy to prepare.

Ingredients for Duck Breast (Serves 2)

• 1 (14 ounce) boneless duck breast (chilled)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Preheat sous vide water bath to 130° F / 54.4° C.

Score the fat side of the chilled breast, being careful not to pierce the meat. Drizzle with a little olive oil and liberally season the breast with salt and pepper on both sides.

Place in a vacuum-sealed bag (or whatever type of bag you use to sous vide). Cook in the water bath for 2½ to 3 hours.

Remove the bag from the water bath, let cool for about 5 minutes, and submerge in an ice bath to chill before searing. Remove the duck breast from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and place the duck breast skin-side down for to crisp the skin, about 5 minutes or so. Turn the breast over and cook on the flesh side for 30 seconds to a minute.

Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Top with blueberry-citrus port wine sauce (see recipe below), or serve the sauce on the side if preferred.

This duck breast pairs well with Kel’s roasted red potatoes and a green veggie of choice. And, of course, a nice glass of wine, such as a pinot noir or merlot,

Ingredients for Blueberry-Citrus Port Wine Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon shallot, diced small
• 1 pint of blueberries
• 2 tablespoons Blueberry preserves (I used Polaner All-Fruit Spread)
• ¼ cup port wine
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (depending on how tart/sweet you want it)
• Salt to taste (I used just a pinch)

Preparation

In a heavy sauce pan, heat butter to medium high, add shallots and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

Spoon over the duck breast or serve on the side.

Enjoy!

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!