The Guardian Confit De Canard Recipes

CONFIT DE CANARD

Steps:

• Rub the duck legs all over with the split garlic cloves and put them in a glass bowl with the salt, pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover with a tea towel and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours, turning once.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Rinse the duck and pat dry with a towel. Set the legs in a baking dish and tuck in the garlic cloves. Pour over enough fat to cover them, place over heat and when you see the first bubble, set it on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and bake uncovered until the meat is very tender and shrinks away from the bone, about 4 hours. Cool slightly in the fat, then carefully lift them out.
• While the confit cooks, soak 2 wooden skewers in a saucepan and boil 5 minutes to sterilize. Lay in the bottom of two sterilized glass loaf pans (breaking the sticks if needed). Lay on the duck legs and ladle over the fat, leaving any juices behind. Make sure they are well covered. Cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate a week to mellow.
• To cook, remove the pans from the fridge and set in simmering water about 20 minutes, so you can pull the legs out without breaking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and lay the legs skin-side down with a little fat around them in a cast iron pan. Bake until hot, about 15 minutes. Remove and turn oven to broil. Turn legs skin-side up and broil to crispen skin, about 3 minutes.

CONFIT DE CANARD

Steps:

• Cut the duck into two legs with thighs attached, two breasts and wings. Cut off the wing tips and reserve. Reserve the two breasts for another use. Remove the excess fat from the carcass and set both carcass and fat aside.
• Combine the salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and quatre epices. Rub the mixture all over the legs and wings. Place in a large bowl. Stud the 6 largest garlic cloves each with a whole clove. Tuck between the duck pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Place the reserved duck fat and 1 cup of water in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the fat has melted and the water has evaporated, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and pass the liquid through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Pour the fat into a Mason jar and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until completely cooled. It will keep for up to four months refrigerated.
• Melt the rendered duck fat in a large, heavy-bottom casserole or pot over medium heat. Remove the duck pieces from the refrigerator and wipe off the spice mixture. Reserve the garlic. Slide the duck into the fat. Add the garlic. Slowly cook the duck over low heat until the leg meat can be easily pierced with a toothpick, about 2 hours for the wings and about 2 1/2 hours for legs. Do not allow the fat to boil. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the duck to a tall glass jar or crock. Pass the duck fat through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into the jar. The duck should be completely covered by the fat. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.
• If you plan to store the confit for an extended time, cover the solid fat with half a layer of vegetable oil to form an airtight seal that will keep the confit longer. Refrigerate at least a week before eating; it can keep up to 3 months.
• When ready to use, remove from refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature until the fat softens. Remove the pieces and wipe off excess fat.