Duck Confit

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Duck confit is a classic French preparation where duck legs are slow-cooked in their own fat for tender, flavorful meat. This recipe also shows how to preserve the confit for future meals or roast it to perfection.

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Prep Time:15

Cook Time:3 15

Cure Time:12

Total Time:15 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Confit, Duck, Duck Confit, Duck Fat

Servings: Servings

Calories: 1878kcal

Author: Pascale Beale

Ingredients

8 duck legs, trimmed of any excess fat
6-8 tablespoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons peppercorns, slightly crushed
5-6 sprigs thyme, fresh
4-5 bay leaves, broken into pieces
3 pounds duck fat, melted

Instructions

In a small bowl combine the salt, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves and mix together well. Rub each duck leg with some of the salt mixture, place in a shallow dish, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours.
After 12 hours rinse the salt from the duck legs and dry on paper towels. Lay the duck legs, skin side down, in a frying pan placed over low heat. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown, turning them over once.
Heat the oven to 300°. Transfer the legs to a small flame-proof casserole or oven-proof dish and add enough of the melted duck fat to cover the legs completely. Cover tightly with a lid and cook in the oven until the duck has rendered all of its fat and is so tender that it is almost falling off the bone—this will take approximately 2½ hours.
To preserve the duck, place some of the duck fat in the bottom of a preserving jar. Carefully place the legs on top and then cover the legs completely with more duck fat. Be sure there are no air bubbles. Cover and refrigerate for 1 week. The fat encasing the legs will preserve the meat.
To serve, remove the legs from the duck fat, scraping off as much fat as you can. Place the pieces in a roasting pan and roast in a 325° oven for 30 minutes.

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