Name: Sous Vide Duck Breasts
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Ingredients: 4 10-ounce boneless duck breasts , skin and fat cap trimmed to ¼ inch; 8 sprigs fresh thyme; 6 garlic cloves , peeled and smashed; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

With crispy skin and a juicy, pink interior, a properly cooked duck breast is a special treat that often proves just as satisfying as a good butter-basted steak. Traditionally, duck breasts are pan-seared from start to finish. But this method requires experience, precise timing, and a watchful eye. The meat can go from perfectly pink to tough and gray in a flash. To guarantee perfectly cooked meat, rendered fat, and crispy skin every time, sous vide is a great option. We found that a gentle cooking temperature of 135°F/57°C for 90 minutes produced duck with a uniform, tender, and juicy texture throughout. To render out as much fat as possible—a key step—we scored the skin and then preseared it for a few minutes before giving the duck breasts their low-temperature bath. Searing the breasts a final time helped to render even more fat and made the skin super-crisp.

Before You Begin

This recipe cooks the duck breasts to a precise medium (our preferred serving temperature). For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 135°F/57°C in 7-quart container.

Using sharp knife, cut slits ½ inch apart in crosshatch pattern in duck skin and fat cap, being careful not to cut into meat. Pat duck dry with paper towels. Place duck skin side down in cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and cook until fat begins to render and skin is lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip duck, add thyme sprigs and garlic to skillet, and cook until second side of breasts are opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer duck and thyme sprigs to large plate. Discard garlic and fat left in skillet and wipe clean with paper towels.

Season duck with salt and pepper. Place duck and thyme sprigs in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until duck is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 1½ hours or up to 2 hours.

Transfer duck to paper towel–lined plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat duck dry with paper towels. Heat oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place duck skin side down in skillet and cook until well-browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and slice into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve.To Make Ahead Cherry sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving. We don't recommend making the duck in advance.