Last Updated on December 25, 2019
Thermocook Sous-Vide – Balsamic Duck Breast:
One of the biggest attractions for me of the Thermomix was having a kitchen utensil that was really multi-functional. I’ve never quite been able to justify spending over a thousand pounds though. So, I was (and still am) really excited to be given the opportunity to review and use the Thermocook Optimum. I’m still at that ‘experimental’ stage where most of the things I do need to be re-tested and fine-tuned. I’ve made soups, I’ve used the Thermocook as a slow cooker and I’ve made a LOT of mashed potato. But, the most innovative thing I’ve done, using the Thermocook as a sous-vide is an idea I’ve stolen from the Thermomix forums. It is something that really does work exceptionally well and, I think, needs to be celebrated and shared.
I started off by testing the temperature control of my Thermocook. I wanted to see how capable it was of maintaining a steady temperature around 60c – the level at which many sous-vide recipes work best. I was pleasantly surprised. It really does seem to be able to hold an exact temperature for hours. Once I was sure that the machine was up to the job, I set out to experiment a bit using ziplock bags and water displacement to seal my food
So far I’ve tried venison shoulder steaks and duck breast. They are both the sort of thing I would normally pan fry, but which I struggle to get cooked through yet rare. They also both have a tendency to be a little tough. Of the two, the duck breast was a resounding success while the venison was good but not perfect. I allowed two and a half hours for each at 60c, but I suspect the venison would have benefited from a longer cooking period at a slightly lower temperature. If you are making this yourself in a Thermocook I suggest using the kneading shaft – you don’t want to accidentally pierce your sealed sous-vide bag. The size of the jug on the Thermocook means that you will probably not be able to sous-vide more than 4 medium size duck breasts at a time.
There is a wealth of information about cooking temperatures and times on the internet. I used this guide and adapted my recipe from this one. Nerves got the better of me, so I cooked the meat for a little longer and at a slightly higher temperature. One of the best things about sous-vide cooking though is that you can keep food at the ‘perfect’ level for a couple of hours. So a meat like duck breast which might get tough if you overcook it in the oven or a frying pan will be beautifully tender and pink even if the phone rings and you end up talking for an hour or so when you should be serving dinner.
- 2 Medium Duck Breasts
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 handful Fresh thyme finely chopped
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Dry the duck breasts with paper towels. Score across the skin
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Season each well with salt and pepper on the skin side and with pepper and a little of the chopped thyme on the meat side
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Place each duck breast in a foodsafe ziplock bag and use a water bath to remove as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
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Fill the Thermocook to just below the max level with cold or warm water. Heat to 60C (this will take between 5 and 8 minutes). I checked the temperature with a jam thermometer and continued to check periodically throughout the cooking process.
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Put the duck breasts into the thermocook. Put the lid on the thermocook and allow to cook for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes
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Remove the duck breasts from the thermocook jug.
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Drain off any braising liquid and reserve
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Pat the duck breasts dry with kitchen paper.
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Heat a heavy frying pan or skillet over a medium high heat. There's no need to add any fat
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Cook the duck breasts for 5 minutes, skin side down, pressing gently down with a fish slice or wooden spoon.
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Once the skin is nicely crisp, turn the duck breasts and cook for a further minute
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Place the duck breasts under a foil tent to rest while you make the balsamic glaze
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Drain off any excess fat from the pan so you are left with just less than a tablespoon. Add the balsamic, braising juices, honey and thyme and reduce down until you have a nicely sticky balsamic sauce
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Slice the duck breast, drizzle a little of the sauce over and serve with simple vegetables or a watercress salad.
The recipe is ultra simple – and I shall be making it again. The duck breast is meltingly tender – and I think it would be great served cold, sliced into a salad.
Now I’m not an egg eater – but I’d love to know how the Thermocook fares at making a slow-cooked egg. Apparently, you just pop the eggs straight into the water bath/Thermocook jug and cook. Eat your heart out Heston!
The Thermocook is now available for just under £500. At less than half the price of the Thermomix but with all the functionality, that’s something of a bargain.
Looking for a different duck recipe? Here’s a recipe for Gressingham Duck roasted Chinese style.
Disclosure: Froothie UK sent me the Optimum ThermoCook to use and review at home. I have not been paid for this post and was not required to give the ThermoCook a positive write up. All opinions are my own. There are affiliate links in this post so that if you buy the Optimum Thermocook I will get a small commission.
Helen at Casa Costello says
I’m so impressed by this machine and really a rather reasonable price considering what it can do. I cannot imagine using it as a Sous-Vide without feeling like a Masterchef competitor but I can most definitely imagine eating that succulent duck! Happy New Year Fiona!
Kacie Morgan says
Wow, this sounds amazing. I’m terrible for leaving food cooking for too long while I’m on the phone, or often blogging!
Fiona Maclean says
LOL me too, this machine works wonders though – it’s all timed so it is much easier!
This is immensely fascinating to me! I have recently been “transitioning” back to being an omnivore after being vegetarian (mostly vegan) for almost 20 years. If I’m going to eat meat, I want to do it justice, but I’ve been super reticent to experiment due to fear of failure. Sous vide seems to have potential to avoid any catestrophic mishaps? I also have been given a Thermocook to review and plan to give this technique a try very soon. Haven’t had duck ever in my life but I DO like venison (how weird it feels to type that)!
In theory Sous-Vide should prevent you overcooking meat or drying it out. It’s a forgiving technique.
I did a much better venison recipe with the Thermocook using it as a slow cooker and making a casserole. But, I wonder if that was just the quality of the ingredient in the first place – I started with duck breast from a really good local butcher vs New Zealand venison shoulder from Tesco. It could also be that I simply didn’t cook the venison for long enough – it wasn’t quite as tender as I would have liked, though it was rather better than a straight pan-fry. I’ll have another go with the venison sous-vide in a week or so and see if I can get it a little better