Husband, doing it "under a vacuum"

No, this isn't a kinky post about combining sex and the vacuum cleaner. Nor is it a post about me bludgeoning Jamie with a vacuum cleaner. Although I did vacuum today, and it's rare to get a feeling of satisfaction better than knowing your floors have been vacuumed and mopped and that the whole house smells like bleach. PLUS - it's six o'clock, and I'm still in my PJ's, drinking beer. PLUS - it's a long weekend. Seriously... life is pretty good. And I haven't even factored into the excitement the fact I'm roasting a whole duck for dinner tonight.
But I digress. Last weekend, the hubby cooked me a lovely Sunday lunch, the pinnacle of which was some lamb sous vide "under a vacuum". Now, this is a fancy technique that is all the rage in expensive restaurants, with chefs vacuum sealing meat and slowly poaching it in temperature controlled water. However, in the latest issue of Cuisine, they explain how you can do it at home. And it's reasonably uncomplicated. You put your meat (lamb back strap in this case) in a ziplock bag, with some tasty things like EVOO, garlic, mint etc, and then put the bag in 60 degree water (the meat thermometer came in handy here) for 8-10 mins for medium rare. Then you seal the lamb in a skillet, rest it for 10 mins in the oven, and et voila!!

I was so impressed with the hubby for this one. Admittedly, the first batch he tried didn't go so well when the water boiled and the bags melted, but take two was just spot on, and oh so tasty.