Jeremy Ford’s Sous Vide Truffle Butter Chickenwith Gnocchi and Vegetables of the Season

For the Chicken:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and spread a generous amount of truffle butter underneath the skin.
2. Place the chicken in a sous vide pouch, being careful that the breasts are not touching, and vacuum seal.
3. Cook the chicken in a water bath at 165°F (74°C) for 60 minutes. Remove the pouches from the circulator and place it in an ice bath until ready to serve.
4. To finish the breasts before serving, heat 1/8 C of grapeseed oil in a skillet. Cut open the sous vide pouches, and dab the breasts dry with a paper towel.
5. Add olive oil to a hot pan to coat and sear the breasts, skin side down, until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes.
6. Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs, the bay leaves, and 1/8 C of butter and swirl around in the pan. Flip the breasts over and, using a spoon, baste the chicken with the herbed brown butter.
7. Transfer the pan to a 425° oven for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for at least 8 minutes.
8. If desired, place extra chicken skin on a lightly oiled baking sheet and crisp in a 350° oven until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve for garnish.

For the Vegetables of the Season:

1. To ensure that turnips cook evenly, cut them to be the same size—into wedges or leave whole, depending on size.
2. Add the turnips to a sous vide pouch with sliced kombu, butter, and salt; seal.
3. In a separate pouch, add the asparagus and season with olive oil and salt. Vacuum seal, ensuring that the asparagus is one layer, flat in the pouch.
4. In a third, separate pouch, seal the pearl onions with bay leaves, duck fat, and salt.
5. Heat the water bath to 190°F (88°C). Add the turnips and pearl onion pouches and cook for 10-12 minutes, adding the asparagus pouch about halfway through.
6. Remove the turnips and onions from their pouches and combine, draining them of most of their juices but keeping the kombu.
7. Add olive oil to a hot pan to coat and add the turnips and pearl onions. Caramelize, moving and turning the vegetables just occasionally to allow them to brown.

To Serve:

Sear the gnocchi in butter until golden. Slice the chicken breast. Serve with a potato purée, the vegetables, prepared jus, and the crispy chicken skin garnish, if desired.

Developed by Chef Jeremy Ford exclusively for Sous-Vide magazine.