Eight-hour duck legs sous vide. I eat duck all the time. Part of it is that I can get amazing duck from Hudson Valley Duck Farms every weekend at the Greenmarket. But, I also just love duck for it’s rich flavor that can vary quite a bit by breed, relative healthiness, and moderate flexibility. Anyway, I’ve only just started exploring cooking duck sous vide. It seems there are a couple of basic camps on what to do: either cook the duck at high heat (176-180F) for 6-10 hours or cook it low and slow a la confit. So far I’m working out of the high heat camp, and the results have been great.

If you have a setup that can keep water at 178F for 8 hours, there is no easier way to make delicious duck legs. Simply vacuum seal the legs with salt, pepper, and any herbs you might like, then cook for 8 hours. Then remove from the bath, pat dry, and crisp the skin in a nonstick pan as I’m doing in the photo. If you’re serving the duck with risotto (which you should be!) transfer the liquid that accumulated in the duck bag to pyrex cup, skim the fat, and use it in place of the last half cup or so of stock that you would’ve added to the risotto.