When the wife is away I tend to make things she won’t eat, like duck. I found a photo on Goolge Images that just looked great so I tried to duplicate it. The sous vide duck was fantastic. The process allows for a medium rare but still a crispy crust. Asparagus is a go to when I want to add an earthy, light aspect to a meal and roasting it under the broiler adds a nice char but doesn’t over cook. The red wine reduction done right, takes a lot of time. More time than I usually allocate. The first pic below is a thinner version. The primary image for this article illustrates what a real reduction looks like when it thickens up. The potato dauphinoise (daa-fuhn-waa) is just a fun thing to try and it turned out great. I would recommend all these recipes.

Ingredients for Sous Vide Duck Breast

• 2 duck breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

Ingredients for Potato Dauphinoise

• 1 lbs potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
• 1-2 pinches nutmeg, grated
• Salt and pepper
• Non-stick spray

Ingredients for Red Wine Reduction Sauce

• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp dry red wine
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 1/4 cups beef broth

How to make Sous Vide Duck Breast

1. Preheat your sous vide to 130F. Season the duck with salt and pepper and place in a zip top bag. Slowly lower the bag into the water, forcing any air out of the bag. Zip the bag closed and place in the sous vide. Cook for 45 minutes to 4 hours. I prefer 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Remove the duck from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel. Reseason with salt and pepper. Score the fat cap.
3. Heat a large pan over high heat. Sear the fat side first for 2-3 minutes until the fat is mostly rendered. Sear the other side for 30 seconds. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

How to make Potato Dauphinoise

1. Thinly slice the potatoes with a mandolin and cover with water. You can peel them first if you like but I like leaving them on.
2. Add the butter, milk, garlic and nutmeg to a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Whisk in the cheese until combined and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a small oven safe dish with non-stick spray. Layer the potatoes in the dish being sure to overlap each layer. Pour the milk and cheese mixture over the potatoes until completely covered. Place in the oven and bake for an hour to an 1 1/2 hours until golden on top and the potatoes are tender. Allow to rest 15-20 minutes.

How to make a Red Wine Reduction Sauce

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over high heat. Coat the pan with vegetables oil. Once the oil is smoking add the shallot, carrot, garlic and celery. Cook until dark golden brown.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, wine and vinegar and reduce until almost dry.
3. Add beef stock and continue at a simmer until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and strain out the veg and herbs. Add back to a small sauce pan and continue to reduce until desired thickness.

How to make Roasted Asparagus

1. Toss the asparagus on olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add to a sheet pan and place under the broiler.
2. Broil until charred.