Duck Confit

Submitted by derMoerder

This dish is a specialty of Gascony, France. Originally a method of preservation used by peasants to preserve meats for long periods of time, it is now considered a luxurious dish far beyond Gascony. You can save the skin from several ducks as you butcher them so you have enough fat for this dish, or you can find it already rendered at some supermarket butchers. Ultimately you only need enough fat to cover the legs completely as they cook.

Ingredients

• Skin From 3 Ducks
• 2ea Duck Legs
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Bay Leaves, crushed
• 1/4 bunch Rosemary, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs Thyme, roughly chopped
• 1/2tsp Black Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt

Procedure

• Ahead of time, simmer all your duck skin in a pot with 1 cup of water for around 45 minutes, or until you can see the skin is shriveled and has given all of its fat.
• Strain out the skin and reserve the fat.

• Combine the salt, garlic, rosemary, pepper and bay. Rub the mixture on the duck legs and wrap tightly in plastic. Store this overnight in the refrigerator.Make sure to keep it in a bowl or other container as it is going to draw a lot of moisture out of the duck.
• Rinse the legs under cold water, making sure to reserve all of the rub mixture. Tie this into a sachet of cheesecloth to cook with and continue to flavor the confit.

• Place the duck legs skin-side down into a saucepan, add the sachet and cover everything with the duck fat.
• Bring to a light simmer on the stovetop. Cover and place into a 200°F oven for around 12 hours, or until the meat pulls readily from the bone.
• Remove the legs from the fat and place into a container for storage. Strain the fat and pour over the duck. Seal and refrigerate. Duck confit can be kept in the fridge for months safely, but it would be very hard to go that long without eating it.