Sous-vide cooked duck breast with potato-celery mash and green beans

How to easily conjure up a perfect festive meal for your guests

It's that time again: Christmas is approaching, and with it, the big question of this year's Christmas dinner. As every year, something special is supposed to grace the Christmas table. And, of course, everything should be perfect during the holidays. How about a true classic: delicately pink-roasted duck breast - crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

Add some delicious side dishes. You can surely impress your guests with that! If the thought of preparation, especially achieving the perfect doneness, is already making you break into a sweat, we have the solution for you: Why not try preparing your Christmas dinner sous-vide this year?

Sous-vide - Juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked

The Sous-vide method makes it possible to prepare meat and fish incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful - with full control over the doneness of the food. And the best part: while the main ingredient is cooking sealed in a vacuum bag in a water bath, you can calmly prepare the side dishes.

Sous-vide cooked duck breast with potato-celery mash and green beans

The following recipe is an absolute eye-catcher and stands out with an exceptionally refined taste. Give it a try yourself - with our step-by-step instructions, a vacuum sealer and a sous-vide stick, you can easily prepare this festive meal.

Ingredients for 4 people 2 duck breasts 500 g potatoes 500 g celery 300 g beans 100 ml milk 1 onion 1 garlic clove 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp canola oil Pinch of nutmeg Salt Pepper

1. Prepare the vegetables

Peel and dice the potatoes and celery into 1 cm cubes. Trim the ends of the green beans, peel the onion and garlic. Halve the onion, slice it into thin half-rings, and finely chop the garlic.

2. Prepare the duck breasts

Take the breasts out of the refrigerator about an hour before preparation, season the meat side with some salt, and bring them to room temperature. Then, use a vacuum sealer to seal them in bags.

3. Preheat the sous-vide bath

Fill the sous-vide basin (alternatively, use a pot) with water. Clamp the sous-vide stick to the edge of the bath and preheat it to 66 °C. Once the temperature is reached, place the vacuum-sealed duck breasts in the bag holder and cook them in the water bath for 35 minutes.

4. Cook the side dishes

Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Peel and dice the potatoes and celery into 1 cm cubes. Add the potato and celery pieces to the boiling water and cook until soft, approximately 10 - 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and celery, then mash them in a pot with the milk. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and keep the mixture warm. In a pan, heat some butter and a splash of canola oil, then sear the beans for about 8 - 10 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, add garlic and onion, and sear for an additional 2 minutes.

5. Sear the duck breasts

In another pan, heat canola oil and sear the duck breasts on both sides until brown. Cook the skin side a bit longer to make it crispy. Then, transfer the duck breast to a cutting board, let it rest for about 3 minutes, and then slice it into thin slices.

6. Serve

On four plates, first, place the potato-celery mash, then some beans, and finally, half a duck breast next to each. Enjoy your meal!

Already full? - Here's how to store your leftovers properly

Whether it's goose, duck, or beef fillet: The leftovers from the festive roast still taste good even after Christmas. Our tip: Reusable vacuum containers. Simply vacuum them by hand pump or with a Lava vacuum sealer to extend the shelf life of the food manifold.