The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

Working with Duck Part 2: Duck Confit

Written by Roger | Apr 14, 2016 1:30:00 PM

Last month, I wrote about making Consommé. I used most of two whole ducks to prepare that recipe. What I did not use in the Consommé were the four leg and thigh portions. These I turned into Duck Confit. 

Confit is a style of cooking that involves salt curing and slow cooking in fat. This was traditionally used to preserve meats, most commonly duck. 

Duck Confit

Start with four duck leg and thigh portions. Pat them dry with a paper towel and generously coat them with kosher salt and a little ground pepper. You need a nice solid layer of salt. You can also add some chopped herbs like thyme, or some minced garlic to the salt mixture for more flavor. 

These need to sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours. When ready, brush all of the salt off of the duck and arrange them in a baking dish.

Melt about 4 cups of duck fat in a pot and pour the melted fat over the duck in the baking dish. Duck fat can usually be purchased at a poultry house or butcher, sometimes frozen in a small tub. If duck fat can't be found, olive oil will work as a substitute. Place a few sprigs of thyme and a couple of bay leaves in the baking dish as well. The fat should cover the duck completely. Place the duck in an 225 F oven and cook for approximately 8 hours. 

Remove the duck from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Once cooled, the duck portions can be seared in a pan on both sides to heat and serve or the meat can be shredded from the leg and thigh portions and be used in other recipes. This time I chose to use the shredded meat to make tamales. 

However you decide to enjoy the duck confit, you will be delighted at the amazing flavor and fall-apart texture of this classic recipe.

If you would like to learn more French cooking techniques like confit, don't miss our Celebrating Julia Child and French Feast: Gluten-Free Gourmet classes coming up in April and May.