How do you feel about all the latest new cooking toys like instant pot or sous vide? Steph and I first got an immersion circulator way back in 2014, but pretty much neither of us used it more than a couple times a year. We’d take it out to make sous-vide eggs, or the odd rib or steak, but overall we just never used it much. This year though, something changed and I broke it out every chance I got. Every time it was my turn to cook, if I could sous vide something, I did. I lived and breathed sous vide. I even read magazines about it.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs duck breast;
• 1 tablespoon yuzu juice (substitute with lemon if needed);
• 2 teaspoons Japanese soy sauce;
• 2 tablespoons mirin;
• 1 tablespoon sake;
• 2 sheets of dried kelp (kombu), rinsed;
• 1/2 cup bonito fish flakes;
• 2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (can be dried);
• 2 teaspoons plum paste (umeboshi – I used umeshu);
• 2 stalks scallions, chopped;
• 2 cloves black garlic (optional).

Set your immersion circulator to 138.5ºF and cook your duck for 1 hour.

Carefully remove your duck from the vacuum seal pouch and reserve the liquid if making ramen.

In a large saute pan without oil, sear duck with the skin side down over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for 1-2 minutes, then rest. Reserve the duck fat from the saute pan if making ramen.