Duck therapy

What do you do after having the worst week ever? Actually, not the worst week EVER.....I've had some pretty crappy weeks over the years. How do you ease the frustration, calm the anger, heal the wounds when you've just been kicked in the emotional crotch. I've turned to different things over the years. I used to just beat the crap out of myself physically. I'd go for a long, punishing bike ride, an extended hike in the mountains, or an arm-burning all-day paddle session. Your troubles just don't seem that bad when you're about to collapse from exhaustion. I'm not really in good enough shape to do that sort of thing these days. I've had to find a new outlet to divert my attention when things are going south.

Cooking has always made me happy. I like being able to create good food that others can enjoy. It makes for quite the diversion when I'm unhappy. Making a large meal for lots of people can be remarkably therapeutic. Not only am I making others happy, after an all-day cook-a-thon I usually am too tired to worry about anything. Really a win-win solution all around.

After my crappy week, I found it very difficult to even take the first step into the kitchen. It was like all the life had been sucked out of me. I just gave up and had fast food for a couple of days. I finally came to the realization that I was going to have to do something to break myself out of this funk. I had to do something new and different. I had to spark the flame.

As luck would have it, I had just seen something on Chef John's Food Wishes site that had peaked my interest. He did a low-tech stove-top sous vide duck breast that looked delicious. That was just what I needed. I had a mission. Duck to the rescue.

More luck; Von's had duck on sale. I got a couple of nice sized ducks and headed home to try something new. It was actually pretty straight-forward. I have a vacuum sealer, so I didn't have to mess around with zip-loc bags. I found a round, two-piece rack that fit just perfectly in the bottom of my Dutch oven. The rack kept the bagged duck breasts off the bottom of the pot and allowed the water to circulate all around. I gave the water a stir every few minutes to keep things at an even temperature. I used my probe thermometer to monitor the water temp. With the burner on 'low' I was able to maintain the water between 135-138 with little effort.

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

As the duck breasts cooked in the water, I oven-roasted the legs and thighs. This is another Chef John technique that I've used before. The legs are wrapped in foil with garlic and tarragon and cooked in a slow oven. After they are tender, you give them a quick sear to crisp up the skin. Same goes for the breasts when they are taken out of the water. Add some steamed veggies and you have yourself a tasty meal

From The Hollow Leg Diner - images

It was a simple little meal, but it got me out of my funk. I found myself reinvigorated. In the week that followed, I have done all sorts of crazy stuff in the kitchen. It's amazing what a little duck therapy will do for you. That was just what I needed to get my head straight.