Once cooked sous-vide, the job is to crisp up the skin. Chill the thigh in an ice bath or refrigerate it before the sear. This will give the thigh a little more time to get extra crispy skin and avoid over-cooking the chicken meat.
Texture desired | Temperature | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
firm, slightly tough | 150° | 1-4 hours | |
tender | 165° | 1-4 hours | |
fall-off-the-bone | 165° | 4-8 hours |
The usual procedure is to rinse the cut, pat it dry, annoint it with olive oil, add light salt, pepper and herbs to taste such as rosemary, sage or thyme. Put it into a bag, suck and seal it. We're assuming boneless and skinless here although don't forget that, if you take care for it, skin-on can be a huge deliciousness beyond.
Sous-vide is the best way to do chicken breast meat because, if you exericise a little caution, it's a way to ensure juiciness that always eludes you with any other cooking method.
Cut | Amount | Temperature | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1" thick | 2 breasts | 150° | 1 hour |
2" thick | 2 breasts | 150° | 2 hours |
Be very careful using the liquid left over after your meat has cooked in its bag. You'll be tempted to make gravy from it and that is a good thing, but you should know that it will very likely be too salty by far. Adjust accordingly; your mileage may vary.