Duck Confit
From OSR
Duck confit is duck meat preserved in duck fat. The meat can be added to soups, stews and bean dishes, and it is also yummy on salad. It is particularly good cooked in lentils. The fat can be used as a cooking fat and lends a delicious flavor to anything it touches.
This is one component in a series of dishes that I make whenever I buy a duck. Duck is, in my opinion, the tastiest meat there is, and it would be a shame not to use every part for something:
- breasts: sautéed, one breast for 2 people.
- legs, thighs, wings and any extra breasts: duck confit.
- fat and skin: rendered to be used in duck confit.
- carcass: duck stock
- liver: pâté
This particular recipe is one I put together by adapting and combining two recipes, one from The Cooking of Southwest France by Paula Wolfert and the other from Louisiana Real and Rustic by Emeril Lagasse.
Technique Overview
- Separate and marinate the duck pieces.
- Render the excess fat.
- Rinse, dry and cook the duck pieces in the fat.
- Pack the meat into a jar and cover with fat.
Ingredients
- duck pieces with skin attached. Legs, thighs and wings are best, but breasts can also be added if you have extra
- all the duck fat and skin you can remove from the carcass
Marinade:
- salt
- black pepper
- shallots
- garlic
- parsley
- bay leaves
- thyme
- whole cloves
Seasoning:
- garlic
- whole cloves
- thyme
Directions
Remove the duck pieces from the duck (or ducks). Coat the duck in the marinating ingredients and let them marinate in the fridge overnight (but not more than 24 hours or they will get too salty).
Remove all of the duck fat and skin you can and render it by first grinding it with a little water and then cooking it slowing for about an hour, until the fat turns clear and pieces of skin have floated to the surface. Strain the rendered fat and discard the solids. Chill the liquid in the refrigerator until it solidifies and you will then be able to remove the solid fat layer and discard any water remaining. The solid fat is the rendered duck fat.
When the duck pieces are done marinating rinse the salt and pepper off of them and pat them dry. Put them in a pot and add the rendered fat and the seasoning ingredients. Cook them for 2-6 hours over very low heat (not more than 200 degrees fahrenheit or the confit will become stringy).
Prepare a clean sterilized crock or jar (you can do this by pouring boiling water into it). Sprinkle a little salt in the bottom to prevent any juices that run to the bottom from going off. Debone the meat and put the meat in the crock. Save the bones for stock, you can crack them with the back of a sturdy knife before putting them away.
Strain the leftover fat and pour the liquid over the meat in the crock, discard the solids. If the fat does not completely cover the meat, add a neutral oil until the meat is covered.
To use the meat, simply extract the meat from the crock carefully with a fork, scraping the fat back into the crock and covering with oil if any of the meat in the crock becomes exposed to the air.
The confit will keep in the fridge for about a month, but I usually remove it after 2 or 3 weeks if there is anything left. I separate the fat from the meat and freeze them separately. If you flatten the bag containing the fat before freezing it it will be easy to break off pieces for use in cooking.