Duck Confit

Name: Duck Confit
Prep time: 24 h
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 28 h
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 (4 1/2 lb) duck; 4 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces; 5 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled; 1 1/2 cups lard or 1 1/2 cups additional duck fat

Submitted by P48422

"From Fine Cooking, issue #48"

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Ready In:: 28hrs
Ingredients:: 6
Serves:: 4

ingredients

1 (4 1/2 lb) duck
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1 ¹⁄₂ cups lard or 1 1/2 cups additional duck fat

directions

To cook one duck, you need about 2 1/2 cup duck fat. A 4.5 lb. duck renders at least 1 cup of fat. Ask your butcher for extra duck fat, or you'll need another cooking fat to supplement. I'd use a mild lard; it's flavor isn't obtrusive. A 4.5 lb. Long Island duck typically yields about 8 oz confit meat (equal parts leg and breast meat).
PREPARE THE DUCK: Cut the legs and each breast half from the duck. Trim any excess skin and fat from the legs and save for rendering.
Gently but firmly pull the skin from the breast meat. Set the skin aside and put the breast and legs in a baking dish.
Sprinkle liberally with the salt. Nestly the bay leaves, thyme and garlic among the duck pieces. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.
RENDER THE FAT: Trim all the skin and fat from the carcass. Put the skin and fat, including the skin from the breasts and trimmings from the legs in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, partially covered, at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the skin from sticking.
After about 1 1/2 hours, the skin will be a deep golden in color and crisp, meaning it has rendered almost all of its fat. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Strain the fat into a container, seal it, and refrigerate until ready to use. The crisped skin may be eaten or discarded.
COOK THE DUCK: In a heavy, 1 1/2 qt saucepan, melt the rendered fat over low heat. Blot the duck pieces with paper towels to remove any excess salt and to dry them. Put the duck in the pan, along with garlic, thyme and bay laves. Arrange the pieces so that they're all submerged. If needed, add more lard.
Cook, uncovered, at a very gently simmer, between 185 degrees and 195 degrees, for 2 hours. Do not stir, and never let it boil. After 2 hours, the duck confit will be very tender and will come easily off the bone.
Lift the duck from the fat using tongs and either use imediately or cool and store, covered, in the refrigerateor for up to a week.

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Reviews

We have just finished the last little bit of this duck confit. This is one of the world's most wonderful flavours. It is really, really easy to do, despite the length of the directions. It would be an excellent dish for someone who is looking for something easy and foolproof to do with duck. You can't undercook it or overcook it. I just did duck legs, which are available in my area at the local chinese supermarket. We had it many ways: on salads, in ravioli, in sandwiches and broiled to get the skin crispy. Great recipe - I hope a lot of people give it a go.

Jangomango
i have made this twice, this is awesome! i use 6 duck leg quarters. some fat from lard,1 lb, fat from 1 duck breast, rendered, 1 c olive oil.i cooked it exactly as you suggested, and it was just perfect and i have had the best confit salads, spring rolls,and pastas-- thanks for this recipe:)

chia2160