Confit Of Duck Recipes

EASY DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• Dry the duck: Pat the duck legs dry with paper towels.
• Slowly heat the duck in the oven: Put the casserole in the oven and heat it to 300°F (150°C); if you have a digital oven, you could even go down to 285°F (140°C). Do not preheat the oven. You want to cook the duck as gently as possible. Walk away and watch football, go shopping, read a book or something. How long? Every duck has a different level of fat, so I can't tell you exactly. But it will be at least 90 minutes, and 2 hours is better. After 90 minutes, check the duck: It should be partly submerged in melted fat and the skin should be getting crispy.

DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• Season the duck legs with kosher salt on both sides. Place them in a large resealable bag. Add the lemon zest and slices, garlic, allspice berries, juniper berries and fresh thyme. Seal, and massage the duck legs through the bag until all of the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Refrigerate for 24 hours to marinate.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).
• Remove the duck legs from the marinade. Rinse them off and pat dry. Place the rest of the contents of the bag into the bottom of an oven safe dish just large enough to hold the legs in a single layer, preferably enameled cast iron or glass. Arrange the duck legs skin side down in the dish. Pour the duck fat into a small saucepan and warm over low heat until liquid. Pour over the duck legs until they are completely covered. If the legs are not covered, you can top it off with some olive oil. As the legs cook, more fat will be rendered from the skin. Cover the dish with a lid.
• Bake for 6 to 7 hours in the preheated oven, until the meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove the duck legs from the fat and place in a sealable container. You may leave the bones in or remove them. Make sure there is room at the top of the container. Strain all of the solids from the remaining fat and discard the solids. Pour the fat over the duck in the container, covering completely. Seal and allow to come to room temperature. Once the jar is cool, place in the refrigerator and let the duck meat cure for 2 months. Reserve any leftover duck fat for other uses.

DUCK CONFIT, THE RIGHT WAY

Steps:

• Combine shallot, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl. Rub all over duck legs, thighs, and wings.
• Arrange duck parts skin side-up in a dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the seasoning is well absorbed, 24 to 48 hours.
• Rinse off the seasoning and pat the duck dry. Arrange duck in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Let duck stand until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
• Melt duck fat in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbles begin to form, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour duck fat over the room-temperature duck.
• Bake duck in the preheated oven until tender and the juices run clear, 2 to 3 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Pour off the duck fat.
• Brush a grill pan with some of the used duck fat and heat over medium-high heat until smoking. Add baked duck; cook in batches until skin is crispy, about 90 seconds per side.

CONFIT DUCK

Steps:

• The day before cooking, put the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan and toast until they are slightly coloured and aromatic. Remove to a board and crush them with the blade of a knife. Crush the juniper berries and mix with the spices and the salt. Rub the mixture over the duck, scatter with thyme, rosemary and sliced garlic and chill for 24 hrs, turning two or three times as they marinate.
• Next day, heat oven to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2. Wipe the duck with kitchen paper and pat dry, but don't wash off the marinade. (The salt extracts the water from the meat cells, which will be reinflated with fat as the duck cooks gently. If you wash it, you will simply reinflate the cells with water.)
• Put the duck in a cast-iron casserole and cover with the goose fat or duck fat. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and cook for about 2½ hrs, or until the meat is almost falling away from the bone. You can store the duck very simply by placing it in a pudding bowl, covering it with the fat and keeping it in the fridge: as long as it stays covered with fat it will last for weeks.
• To cook, remove the confit duck legs from their fat. Put an ovenproof frying pan on the stove until it is hot. Add the duck legs, skin-side down, and cook for 4 mins. Turn the legs and transfer the pan to the oven for 30 mins, until crisp.

CONFIT DUCK LEGS

Steps:

• Mince and mash 4 garlic cloves to a paste with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir together paste, kosher salt (1/4 cup), thyme, quatre épices, shallots, and bay leaves in a large bowl. Add duck legs and toss to coat, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 day and up to 2 days.
• Wipe off marinade with paper towels.
• Trim off 1/4 inch from top of garlic head, then stick 2 whole cloves into head. Melt duck fat in a wide large heavy pot over low heat, then cook garlic head and duck legs, uncovered, over low heat until fat registers approximately 190°F, about 1 hour. Continue to cook duck, maintaining a temperature of 190 to 210°F, until a wooden pick slides easily into thighs, 2 to 3 hours more.
• Transfer duck with a slotted spoon to a large bowl (reserve garlic for another use if desired). Slowly pour duck fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a large crock or deep bowl, leaving any cloudy liquid or meat juices in bottom of pot, then pour strained fat over duck legs to cover by 1 inch. (If necessary, shorten drumstick bones 1 to 2 inches using a large heavy knife to fit legs more tightly in bowl.) Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Just before serving, remove duck from fat (reserve fat for another use, such as frying), scraping off most of fat, then cook, skin side down, in a large heavy nonstick skillet over low heat, covered, until skin is crisp and duck is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes

CONFIT OF DUCK

Steps:

• The day before you want to make the dish, scatter half the salt, half the garlic and half of the herbs over the base of a small shallow dish. Lay the duck legs, skin-side up, on top, then scatter over the remaining salt, garlic and herbs. Cover the duck and refrigerate overnight. This can be done up to 2 days ahead.
• Pour the wine into a saucepan that will snugly fit the duck legs in a single layer. Brush the salt off the duck legs and place them, skin-side down, in the wine. Cover the pan with a lid and place over a medium heat. As soon as the wine starts to bubble, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook for 2 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid is just barely simmering. (If you own a heat diffuser, it would be good to use it here.) After 2 hours, the duck legs should be submerged in their own fat and the meat should feel incredibly tender when prodded. Leave to cool.
• The duck legs are now cooked and can be eaten immediately - or you can follow the next step if you like them crisp. If you are preparing ahead, pack the duck legs tightly into a plastic container or jar and pour over the fat, but not the liquid at the bottom of the pan. Cover and leave in the fridge for up to a month, or freeze for up to 3 months. The liquid you are left with makes a tasty gravy, which can be chilled or frozen until needed.
• To reheat and crisp up the duck legs, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the legs from the fat and place them, skin-side down, in an ovenproof frying pan. Roast for 30-40 mins, turning halfway through, until brown and crisp. Serve with the reheated gravy, a crisp salad and some crisp golden ptoatoes.

DUCK CONFIT

Steps:

• Cut up ducks: Separate thigh-leg portions in one piece. Bone thigh, leaving it attached to leg bone. Cut off top inch of leg bone with a heavy cleaver. Trim all visible fat from thigh-leg pieces; reserve fat in a heavy saucepan. Remove duck breasts and reserve for another use. Cut away as much fat and skin from the carcass as possible, chop in small pieces, and add to reserved fat.
• Marinate duck pieces: Sprinkle thigh-leg portions all over with salt and turn skin-side down. Sprinkle with mixed spices, saltpeter and pepper. Place herb sprig on each portion. Press together 2 pieces to make 3 packages of thigh-leg portions with skin on outside. Place in a nonreactive baking dish or roasting pan, cover tightly and marinate 24 hours, refrigerated.
• Render duck fat: Add 1 1/2 cups of the wine and just enough water to saucepan of reserved fat to moisten. Heat pan over medium heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until all wine and water has evaporated, and only golden duck fat remains. Strain out cooked skin and reserve fat.
• Prepare confit: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove duck thigh-leg pieces from refrigerator, discard herb sprigs and pat dry with paper towels. Brush lightly with rendered fat and broil in a preheated broiler, skin-side up, until skin browns, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup wine and let rest for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat rendered duck fat in a large, heavy casserole. When fat boils add duck pieces. Add enough additional rendered duck or goose fat to cover. Bake covered in 300 degree F oven, 2 hours, or until duck is extremely tender, but not falling apart. Place a rack or crisscross a pair of chopsticks in bottom of a heavy earthenware crock. Lay duck pieces on rack, then pour warm fat over to completely cover and seal pieces. When cool, cover top of crock and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. Duck will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.
• To finish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove duck pieces from crock and scrape off most of fat. Place in a roasting pan and heat in a 400 degree oven until crisply brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with garlic potatoes Sauteed in some duck fat.
• * Mixed Spices: Combine 1 teaspoon each crumbled dried basil, crumbled dried thyme, freshly-grated nutmeg, ground cloves, ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1 bay leaf, crumbled. Yield: about 2 tablespoons
• Cut up ducks: Separate thigh-leg portions in one piece. Bone thigh, leaving it attached to leg bone. Cut off top inch of leg bone with a heavy cleaver. Trim all visible fat from thigh-leg pieces; reserve fat in a heavy saucepan. Remove duck breasts and reserve for another use. Cut away as much fat and skin from the carcass as possible, chop in small pieces, and add to reserved fat.
• Marinate duck pieces: Sprinkle thigh-leg portions all over with salt and turn skin-side down. Sprinkle with mixed spices, saltpeter and pepper. Place herb sprig on each portion. Press together 2 pieces to make 3 packages of thigh-leg portions with skin on outside. Place in a nonreactive baking dish or roasting pan, cover tightly and marinate 24 hours, refrigerated.
• Render duck fat: Add 1 1/2 cups of the wine and just enough water to saucepan of reserved fat to moisten. Heat pan over medium heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or until all wine and water has evaporated, and only golden duck fat remains. Strain out cooked skin and reserve fat.
• Prepare confit: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove duck thigh-leg pieces from refrigerator, discard herb sprigs and pat dry with paper towels. Brush lightly with rendered fat and broil in a preheated broiler, skin-side up, until skin browns, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup wine and let rest for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat rendered duck fat in a large, heavy casserole. When fat boils add duck pieces. Add enough additional rendered duck or goose fat to cover. Bake covered in 300 degree F oven, 2 hours, or until duck is extremely tender, but not falling apart. Place a rack or crisscross a pair of chopsticks in bottom of a heavy earthenware crock. Lay duck pieces on rack, then pour warm fat over to completely cover and seal pieces. When cool, cover top of crock and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. Duck will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.
• To finish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove duck pieces from crock and scrape off most of fat. Place in a roasting pan and heat in a 400 degree oven until crisply brown, about 15 minutes. Serve with garlic potatoes Sauteed in some duck fat.
• * Mixed Spices: Combine 1 teaspoon each crumbled dried basil, crumbled dried thyme, freshly-grated nutmeg, ground cloves, ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1 bay leaf, crumbled. Yield: about 2 tablespoons