Duck Confit
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A generation ago, duck confit was an obscure regional dish from southwestern France, well on its way to being forgotten. Fortunately it has not only been rediscovered but also become enormously popular, especially in restaurants, where it is often added to other foods to contribute flavor. A description of how to make duck confit might sound a little intimidating in this fat-conscious age. It is made by cooking duck parts very gently in rendered duck fat until the the duck flavor is concentrated in the meat and the meat is meltingly tender. The fat, while usefulfor cooking, is usually wiped off the duck parts before they are served, so very little of it is actually used. Once you have duck confit in hand, you can use it instead of the slow-roasted duck thighs in the sauerkraut and cabbage recipes, or you can use some of the suggestions that follow. Thighs are the most practical cut to use for making confit for two reasons: if you have bought a whole duck to secure the breasts, you have the thighs left over, and if you buy thighs, they are less expensive than breasts. When made into confit, the meat is tastier than the breast meat. To make the project worthwhile, you need at least 12 Pekin thighs or 6 mullard thighs and some extra fat from a duck or two. Makes 12 or 6 confit thighs.
ingredients
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serves: 12
12 Pekin duck thighs (or 6 mullard duck thighs)
Salt
Pepper
5 cloves garlic (minced and then crushed with the flat side of the knife)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (chopped, or dried thyme)
2 leaves bay (chopped)
2 quarts duck fat trimmings (or rendered duck fat)
Nutrition Facts
Duck Confit
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount per Serving
Calories: 1207
- Total Fat: 136.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 45.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 136.7 mg
- Sodium: 0.2 mg
- Total Carbs: 0.4 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0 g
- Sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
preparation
1. Trim excess fat off the duck thighs and reserve the fat.
2. Chop garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and make a paste.
3. Rub the paste on the thighs, especially on the meat side, along with salt and pepper.
4. If you have time, store overnight in the refrigerator.
5. If using fat trimmings, puree the fat in a food processor.
6. Pureed duck fat.
7. Transfer the fat to a heavy, high-sided pot and render it over high heat for 10 minutes. If you're using already rendered fat, melt it in the pot.
8. Place the thighs, skin side down, in the pan. Initially the fat surrounding the thighs will be cloudy.
9. When the fat is clear and transparent and a knife slides easily in and out of the meat, the confit is ready.
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comments
arlene
May 9, 2012