15 hour Sous Vide Duck Leg Recipe
Sous Vide Duck Legs
Confession: When it comes to meats, I’m not always the most adventurous. So, when I saw pan fried duck breast was on the menu for America’s most decorated chef, Thomas Keller’s online Masterclass course ($180 well spent), I slightly gulped. I was completely on board for adding my own little spins to all the fish, seafood, and vegetables he was enticing me through my television with…but while the duck looked like juicy, crispy skin goodness, I worried it would be a failure for my palate. What added on to this fear was his warning that you want to keep duck medium rare to avoid it taking on a taste like liver. There are few things I dislike more than liver. It’s umami flavor and strange texture gone wrong.
Still, that crispy pink duck breast kissed with honey orange gastrique called to me for the rest of the day.
During a trip to Jungle Jim’s grocery store with my mother the next day, I was presented with two choices: One boneless duck breast for $14.99 or two bone-in duck legs for the same price. At the risk of sounding like an extremely picky eater once again, I don’t exactly like chicken breasts. Their flavor is fine, but they must be cooked perfectly. I decided that while I didn’t have the convenience of the legs being boneless, it was more meat, and the texture and taste would be a bigger plus.
While unthawing the duck legs a few days later, I began making a game plan. “These legs have bones in them, meaning I might not want to cook them medium rare in a pan like that duck breast he had because…bloody duck bones, liver duck taste, or both.” Deboning and a 3 hour sous vide session was the move. I did a quick google search to find more information on my meat cut of choice and found several posts indicating that legs have extra tendons rendering them very tough… “Actually, change that 3 hours to 15.”
There was no way that duck wasn’t getting my version of Thomas Keller’s luscious honey orange gastrique, especially after I went through all the trouble of preparing a veal stock for it. On my list of things to make was also his potato puree and the bok choy had in my fridge. With all the mixing, matching, swapping and adding my own twist to his recipes, I laugh when I think about the failing grade I would receive in culinary school, simply for not following directions (Bet he’d still try it and secretly like it).
What resulted was one of the best meals I’ve ever made or even experienced. The crispy duck drizzled with honey orange sauce on top of the buttery velvet potatoes alongside the duck fat charred bok choy is a cooking and eating experience I do not believe I’ll soon forget.
While I cannot yet speak for duck BREASTS, what I can say is that duck legs are like a richer, more umami, tender chicken thigh. It was worth the deboning, waiting 15 hours, creating an ice bath, then pan frying the skin.
This recipe is one you will go back to again and again. It will blow your guests away and take your culinary expectations to new levels. Feel free to add garlic, herbs, and more…but I’ll be honest and tell you that the magic is you don’t need any of that! I am so happy to have let my taste buds experience sous vide duck…but slightly saddened that the bar has been set that much higher in my standard for food.
