Sous Vide Wild Duck Breast with Bleu Cheese Black Pepper Cream
Rich and tender wild duck breast sous vide then seared to perfection and paired with a blue cheese black pepper cream. The perfect Fall or Winter appetizer.
Equipment
- vacuum sealer
- quart or 8" vacuum seal bags
- sous vide
- Measuring cups and spoons
- medium mixing bowl
- cast iron pan or griddle
- small sauce pan
- large pot or container for sous vide
Ingredients
- 6 wild duck breasts, cleaned and prepped
Duck Marinade
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup dry red wine something you would drink
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Bleu Cheese Black Pepper Cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup bleu cheese crumbles divided in 1/2
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper adjust amount to your preference
- salt taste before adding salt, ½ teaspoon may be needed for your tastes
Sourdough Toast Points
- 5-6 slices sourdough bread, cut into quarters
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Wild Duck Preparation
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the wild duck breasts. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge.
- While duck is marinating, fill the large pot or heat proof container you'll be using to sous vide with water and set the sous vide temperature to 125 ° F for medium rare. Allow the water to come up to temperature. Follow the instructions for your specific sous vide model.
- Remove the wild duck breasts from the marinade and allow excess marinade to drain off. Place in a vacuum seal bag and vacuum seal.
- Place vacuum sealed duck breasts into the heated sous vide water bath. Sous vide for 3-4 hours at 125°F
- After the sous vide cycle is complete, begin to heat a pan or cast iron surface on medium high. Remove the duck breasts and sear each on the direct heat for approximately 45 seconds to 1 minute/side.
- Rest the duck meat for 5-10 minutes and slice thinly against the grain.
Bleu Cheese Black Pepper Cream
- While the duck is in the sous vide or while it's resting (depending on if you prefer warm or chilled cream) heat the cream, black pepper and 1/2 the bleu cheese crumbles over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by 1/4 to 1/2 depending on if you would like to serve as with a spoon or a knife, respectively.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining bleu cheese crumbles. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper as required.
- For chilled cream, place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. For warm cream, keep warm over low heat on the stove or reheat over low heat when it's time to serve.
Sourdough Toast Points
- Slice 5-6 slices of sourdough bread into quarters. Distribute into one layer on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toast in a 350° F oven until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Estimate 1 duck breast/person when deciding how to scale this recipe as an appetizer.
Crostini, Melba toast, or hearty crackers would also work great along side or in place of the sourdough toast points.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!