Duck confit recipe to enjoy now or preserve for later
To make duck confit, cure duck legs in a salt and aromatic mixture for 48 hours, then slow-roast them in duck fat for approximately 9 hours. The result is a succulent delicacy, celebrated for its tender texture and rich flavor, achieved through the unique preservation method of slow-cooking in its own fat.
Ingredients
- 6 duck legs
- 6 juniper berries
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- ½ tsp ground Timut pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Black pepper ground, to taste
- 4 ½ tbsp salt
- ½ liter of duck fat or more if required 16 oz.
Instructions
Preparing duck legs for curing:
- Clean and wash duck legs thoroughly, ensuring they are free of feathers and other debris.
- Pat dry the duck legs.
Making curing mix and curing duck legs:
- Reserve juniper berries and place them with ½ of thyme sprigs at the bottom of a non-reactive utility dish.
- Grind spices, crush bay leaves and garlic, and finely dice shallot. Mix everything with salt.
- Rub ½ of the curing mix on the underside of duck legs. Place them, skin side up, in the dish. Massage the rest of the mix into the skin.
- Cover duck legs with cling film, ensuring there are no air bubbles underneath the film. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
- Remove legs from the cure, wipe off salt with paper towels, and set aside.
Making duck confit:
- Preheat the oven to 200 F (95 C)
- Start by melting enough duck fat to cover the duck legs completely. Make sure the fat is not hot but just lukewarm.
- Place duck legs, preferably in a single layer, into the casserole dish. If you need to place the meat in layers, spread additional fat in between the layers of the duck. Add more duck fat to cover the meat completely.
- Cover the dish with parchment or a lid and place it in the preheated oven.
- Slow-cook the duck legs for 6 hours. However, start checking at the 5-hour mark to make sure you do not overcook the duck legs. If necessary, cook for an additional 1+ hours, until the meat becomes tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
Cooling and Storage:
- Remove the dish from the oven and let the duck confit cool slightly.
- Promptly transfer the duck legs into your chosen storage dish. We prefer to remove the meat from the bone and store our duck confit in freezer-safe glass jars, but that's just a matter of personal preference.
- Cover the duck confit completely with melted duck fat. You can use the fat from the cooking process, but be cautious because not all liquid in the casserole is pure fat. There's a substantial amount of cooking duck liquids that should not be used for preserving the duck.
- To use duck fat from the cooked duck leg, carefully spoon out or pour out just the translucent fat. Try not to shake the dish as it will make the fat mix with the duck cooking liquids.
- Allow the duck legs to cool in the fat.
- Once cooled, store the duck confit in the refrigerator. The fat will solidify and act as a natural preservative, keeping the duck flavorful.