Sous Vide Duck Breast a l’Orange

Duck à l’Orange, or Canard à l’Orange if you want to get technical about it, is a classic French favorite. Traditionally, the duck is roasted and served with an orange sauce, but for our modern twist — Sous Vide Duck Breast a l’Orange — we prepared duck breast with the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker. Since we packed the duck breast in with orange zest and juice, as well as garlic, shallot, thyme and pepper, the sous vide perfectly developed the deep flavor needed for the sauce. So be sure to reserve the cooking juices. Read on for the perfect Sous Vide Duck Breast a l’Orange recipe.

Author

Emily Farris and Jeff Akin

Emily Farris and Jeff Akin are the co-founders of Feed Me Creative, a former culinary creative agency in Kansas City, MO.

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 03:30

Temperature : 135F / 57.2C

Ingredients

• 2 (6-ounce) duck breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 shallot, peeled and quartered
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 cup chicken or duck stock
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced into 1/2-inch piece

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 135°F (57°C).
2. Season the duck breasts with salt and place in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag with the orange zest, orange juice, garlic, shallot, thyme, and peppercorns.
3. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting. Place in the water bath and set the timer for 3 1/2 hours.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the duck from the bag, pat dry with paper towels, and score the top of the skin in a wide criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife — carefully, as not to pierce the meat. Reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add the duck, skin side down, and sear until deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest, covered.
3. Remove the rendered duck fat and return pan to medium-high heat. Add the vinegar and bring to a rapid simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the stock and the cooking liquid from the bag. Simmer until mixture has reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in the cold butter and remove the pan from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Slice the duck breasts and serve with the orange sauce.