Birthday dinner!

What does a amateur chef want to do on her birthday? I'll give you one guess.

Entertain! Feed people!

So when I turned 27 a few weeks ago, I did just that. As the recent recipients of a new-to-us immersion circulator rescued from near destruction as lab surplus, we've been going through a bit of an... experimental phase. Anything that fits in a baggie is fair game these days. Eggs? Check. Like custard. Chicken? Check. Lamb? Check. 

Check check check.

But duck? Such a fatty meat surely has no problem remaining moist with traditional cooking methods. But this is my birthday, and I say we try it out.

2 hours at 150F later, a hot pan to sear in, and a sprinkle of simple salt and pepper and we have it : our sous vide duck thigh.

So, you ask, how was it? Well, to be totally honest, I think I hate duck. But it does make for a very pretty plate :)


Photos by Ben : heliotrope.ucsd.edu