Sous Vide Confit Duck with Lentil Ragu

Cook Time 10 hrs + refrigeration

Servings 4

Difficulty Hard

Ingredients

Salt spice cure
½ cup sea salt
3 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 duck marylands
1/3 cup duck fat

Lentil Ragu

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
200g French lentils
2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
30g butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme and garlic into a mortar and pound with pestle to break up spices and garlic. Rub generously over both sides of the duck. Place into a deep container and refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Wash each Maryland thoroughly with cold water to remove salt cure; pat dry with paper towel.

Preheat sous vide to 75°C.

Vacuum seal each Maryland with 1 tablespoon of duck fat and seal. Place into racks and cook 8-10 hours. To serve, cut open bags and pour duck fat into a heavy based frying pan. Heat until smoking.
Sear skin side for 1 minute, turn over and sear 30 seconds
Serve immediately with lentil ragu

Lentil Ragu
Preheat water bath to 91°C
Place all ingredients into a bag and place into water using the water displacement method.
Cook 4-6 hours.
Empty ragu into a pan and stir in butter; season well with salt and pepper