Sous Vide Duck Breast with Fresh Garlic

The very first thing I made in the Sous Vide machine was a duck breast. As instructed, each breast went into its own pouch, and I added a clove of fresh garlic to each as well. No other seasonings of any sort. Picture below shows it sealed and ready to go.

Brought the water up to temperature (63C or 146F) and dropped the pouches in. Then let it cook for about 7 hours.

The picture above shows the duck just before pulling the pouches out of the bath. There is plenty of room for water to circulate around the pouches, which is why I didn't need to use the pouch rack. The drippings were, I think, mostly blood, because the fat, while cooked to perfect doneness, did not leach out of the meat (I know this from letting the drippings sit until quite cool; there were only a couple of spots of congealed fat, rather than the thick layer I'm accustomed to with duck.

When the pouches were cut open, they smelled beautifully of duck and garlic. All that was required to get the breasts to the condition shown in the first picture was to sear them, skin side down, in hot leftover bacon fat (butter or lard would have been just fine, too). The instructions recommend seasoning the bird to taste after with salt, pepper, and any spices of your choosing. I wanted to have it as is, and thought the garlic would be sufficient.

Eating Notes: This was without question the best duck I ever have had in my life. I wish we'd had gotten one as soon as they came out so that Phil would have had a chance to have tried it. The texture was indescribably perfect: tender without being mushy, blending meat and fat into a cohesive umami-laden whole with just a hint of crunch and caramelized sweetness from the crisped skin. The fresh garlic flavor seemed to permeate the entire breast, not just the outside or the corner where it was.

If this had been the centerpiece of an entree at the most expensive restaurant in town, I'd have said the cost was more than worth it. As it was, it was little more effort than throwing something in the crock pot. Yow. I can't quite say it paid for itself, but I have a feeling this appliance is going to be up there with Mechazawa-san in revolutionizing how I approach food and my kitchen.

Next I'm going to try doing some much more pedestrian than duck -- goat stew cubes. We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, names are coming to me but they still aren't its true moniker.