Previous Item: Molecular Gastronomy Week! Sous Vide Caneton aux Cérises (Duck with Cherries) with Creamy Farro and Braised Green Garlic ($16 Per Person / Time to Cook: 30 Min. / Cook By Day: Monday)

Meal Description

We will Sous Vide the duck breasts at 132 degree (Hey, that is a modernist technique!).  We will create a cherry sauce with Agar, which is to be served hot.  Now, once Agar has set in a mixture, it can be whisked or blended to create a pudding like texture, if desired. It is essentially a gluten-free, vegetarian thickening agent.  The sauce is for you to keep a solid, blend, or provide both alternating textures.  The Duck will be served with Farro, which is an ancient grain used for centuries in Europe that has undertones of cinnamon and a slight nuttiness.  The dish is finished with seasonal green garlic.

So, what the heck is molecular gastronomy?  Think of it as combining a chemistry lab with a kitchen.  While science has always been fundamental to cooking, molecular gastronomy adds a level of precision.  The most ubiquitous piece of equipment used is the immersion circulator for Sous Vide cooking.  This allows for precise cooking temperatures and yields superior results, which we discuss on our website. 

Molecular gastronomy also introduces all kinds of ingredients, such as enzymes, hydrocolloids, acids, among others, to change the physical properties, tastes, and textures of the ingredients.  These have all been used for years in the commercial food industry, and for centuries in certain cultures. 

Agar Agar.  Agar is a natural extract from red algae or seaweed and is used in the forming of rigid, brittle gels. It has similar properties to gelatin, which comes from breaking down the collagen of an animal.  Used in Asian cooking since ancient times, Agar has a temperature profile that is much different than gelatin.  Agar can be added to any liquid, although its gelling power diminishes with greater acidity, and heated to 185 degrees to hydrate.  Once the mixture cools to 95 degrees, it will become a solid.  However, if it is again reheated, and this is what makes this ingredient magical in molecular gastronomy, it doesn’t turn back into a liquid again at 95 degrees, but remains a solid until it reaches 185 degrees.  This allows for the creation of “hot gels,” which is not possible with gelatin. 

Bon Appetit!

Time to Cook:  30 min.

Cook by Day:  Monday  *Let us know at checkout if you are not cooking on the day of delivery and certain items will be left unprepped.

Items included (serves 2)

1. Sous Vide Magret Duck Breast
   
2. Farro
   
3. Green Garlic
   
4. Cherries
   
5. Duck Stock
   
6. Agar Agar
   

*Menu items subject to slight variation based on the availability of fresh ingredients; Picture is not necessarily representative of final dish

Meal Contains (including add-ons):    Wheat.  We store, portion, and package various meal kits containing all eight (8) major allergens (milk, wheat, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts) and cannot guarantee that cross-contamination will not occur between kits.

Add-on Checkout Items

1. Double the Protein
   
2. Cucumber-and-Mâche Salad
   
3.  Kid’s Meal – Duck, Farro & Veggies
   

Bon Appétit!