Duck Magret (Duck Breast)
Very often I started using the word "perfect", but this is an exclamation about the result obtained after a product initially cooked sous vide at low temperature and then finished for a short time in a pan at high temperature. If we joke, we can say this is the practical manifestation of the dialectical Law of unity and struggle of opposites, which exist in unity although mutually exclusive; this unity is temporary, but the struggle between them is constant, which creates conditions for movement, self-regulation and change. So philosophically-perfectly this duck changed and became the best magret I have tasted.
Ingredients
| 1 бр. | duck magret / breast with skin |
| — | freshly ground black pepper |
| — | kosher salt |
| — | sprig of rosemary |
Instructions
COOKING TEMPERATURE – 57°C / 136.6°F. COOKING TIME – 01:00 hour. For 1 serving.
- Set your sous vide to 57°C (56 for 2 hours).
- Wash the duck with cold water and pat dry well with paper towels. Trim the excess fat and clean off any feather remnants.
- With a sharp knife make diamond cuts in the skin. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a bag and vacuum-seal.
- Cook for 01:00 hour at 57°C / 136.6°F.
- Once the timer goes off, remove the duck from the bag and pat dry well with paper towels.
- Heat a non-stick pan and place the duck skin-side down. Cook, periodically removing the released fat. When the skin becomes crispy and takes on its characteristic caramel color, turn the breast. Once seared on that side too, remove the breast. You can cover it with foil for a few minutes while you make the garnish, though with sous vide cooking this is not necessary. Serve sliced with your favorite sauce and garnish.
TIP: Feather remnants are most easily removed with fish-bone tweezers. Make the cuts only in the skin, if possible without damaging the meat. Optionally you can add various aromatics to the bag – a sprig of rosemary, nutmeg, thyme or orange zest. I prefer the meat medium rare and think this is the doneness that suits magret best. You can check with the steak test for Medium Rare – touch your thumb to your middle finger; the firmness of the steak should match the firmness of the pad of the thumb. I served the magret over roasted pear, baby spinach, citrus sauce and white rice with an egg yolk cooked sous vide.