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Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
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4.43 from 7 votes

Sous Vide Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Sous vide is a French cooking technique whereby vacuum sealed food is cooked in a temperature controlled water bath for an extended period of time. This technique produces incredible Chicken Thighs that I finish off with Mushroom Cream Sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Sous Vide
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 Chicken Thighs
Calories: 445kcal

Ingredients

Sous Vide Chicken

  • 8 chicken thighs, skin-on and boat-in
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut oil

Mushroom Cream Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons minced shallot or onion
  • 4 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
  • ¼ cup Madeira (See Tip 1)
  • ½ cup chicken gelatin from cooking chicken (See Tip 2)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Sous Vide Chicken

  • Preheat the sous vide cooker to 165° F.
  • Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Add chicken to vacuum seal bags; vacuum seal, pressing the chicken so that the skin is as flat as possible.
  • Place the chicken in the water bath, making sure not to block the intake or output sections of the precision cooker. Cook for 1 to 4 hours. (See Tip 3)
  • Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the bagged chicken to an ice water bath to chill. (See Tip 4)
  • Remove the chicken from the bag(s) and scrape off any gelatin that has formed; transfer gelatin to a small bowl for use in the Mushroom Cream Sauce. Place the chicken on a paper towel lined plate; with another paper towel, blot the chicken dry and flatten the skin side to ensure even contact with the pan during searing.
  • Preheat a 12-inch heavy skillet with peanut oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Carefully add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down. Cook the chicken until the skin is brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook the second side until the chicken is warmed through, about 1 minute. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate. Serve with Mushroom Cream Sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Mushroom Cream Sauce

  • In the same pan used to sear the chicken, add the shallots or onions; sauté for about a minute without browning.  Stir in the mushrooms and sauté for several minutes until lightly browned and all of the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the chicken gelatin or broth and Madeira and boil down quickly over high heat until the liquid is syrupy.  Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until the cream has thickened slightly.  Remove from the heat; taste carefully for seasoning. Yield: About 1½ cups.

Notes

  1. Can use Marsala in place of Madeira.
  2. You can also use chicken broth in place of the gelatin from the Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
  3. I cooked the thighs for 2 hours.
  4. Once the chicken things are removed from the sous vide water bath, they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before finishing and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg