Duck Confit tips?

BrianB

BrianB

BrianB

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Going to make Duck Confit (Confit de Canard). I have got 5 jars of duck fat, 6 duck legs, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic. Going to eat it with some duck fat roast potatoes and maybe some parsnip puree.

Basically I plan to buy a glass dish or something silimar to keep the duck in but also cook it in, saw someone put kebab skewers in the bottom of the dish to allow the fat to sit under the duck to preserve it.

Think I will keep it simple, just the salt, pepper, a couple of bay leaves, garlic, thyme, let it marinate for 48 hours, wipe off the marinade, then cook it for 3-4 hours whenever it is done.

Any suggestions or things that you guys add? I saw in one youtube video a chef using a "four spice" blend which seems to be pepper nutmeg ginger and cloves, which I'm not sure are to my tastes apart from pepper.

I've only had this once, out of a can then roasted in the oven, and it was the nicest meat I've ever had the pleasure of eating. :D
 
I always use orange zest and a little star anise in my cure, with the orange being particularly good (star anise is good but not everyone's taste).
I do make my duck confit sous vide which means I only need a couple of tablespoons of duck fat per leg, if you have access to a water bath I would suggest trying it as it makes it a doddle (professional chefs couldn't tell the difference in blind taste tests against the normal method).

It is often served with potatoes, an egg and a salad to cut through the richness but I would highly reccomend this duck confit sheperd’s pie:

http://www.fiftyfourdegrees.com/lang/en-us/archives/676
 
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To be honest the confit alone is enough for me, I think I'll have it with some boiled or roasted potatoes. Might also try a salad but first time I think mine might turn out a bit SALTY. :D

I have access to a slow cooker and an oven, that is pretty much it. I'm thinking I will do it at 100c in the oven, in the fat for 3-4 hours or whenever the meat has shrunk off the bone.

I've got it marinating in salt, thyme and garlic. I hadn't seen your messages I didn't think anyone would respond, though I really appreciate your reply and will certainly try the anise and orange next time as I've heard aniseed goes well with duck and it sounds delicious!

Sous vide sounds a good idea, but I just bought 1600g of duck fat which should last me a long time, it was on offer at Waitrose.

A lot of videos I see people washing the salt off in a bowl of water, I don't think I will do that as it seems a bit backwards to cure something then dip it in water.

Thank you for your reply f00b4r, the Shepherd's pie you linked look's like heaven!
 
Just realised I have one in the oven I always forget stuff. On leg wouldn't fit in the tray I have to marinate. I put a couple of teaspoons of fat some under it and some on the skin, might add some more and cook it for another hour.
 
I would make sure you wash the cure off thoroughly or you may find it is unpleasantly salty (I normally wash and then soak mine in 2 changes of water for 5 minutes each and the cure taste is still strong) - I guess you will find out with your test piece. :)

When you reheat the confit (if it lasts that long) chill the duck fat and seperate the gelatinous goodness for use in sauces/gravies and then freeze this and the duck fat so you can use again when you want.

I love it when my local Sainsburys put duck on special offer (regulary) as it means 4 legs of duck confit for a fiver; they get put in everything from the 'shepherds pie' to spring rolls :D

Dont feel limited to duck; I plan to confit the turkey legs this Xmas so will let you know how they turn out :D
I also plan on trying this rabbit confit/daube pie in the new year as rabbits are in season at the moment:

http://svkitchen.com/?p=5675
 
Mmmmmm

and that pie sounds damn awesome. I will do some more in the new year I think. We get a lot of rabbits around here. Seems much more widely eaten than in the UK.
 
I don't know if you made it or not. I find it a bit salty if it's cured for that long. I prefer to either salt it for no more than a few hours and wash it off or just season it before cooking and don't wash it off. I cook it in the oven at about 140-150 for around 3 hours because I've found it gets a bit too hot when you do it on the hob. Make sure the legs are covered in fat when it has melted otherwise the top dries out.
 
Omg I hate turkey legs!

Ah right, it may end up extremely salty then, but it's in the oven now and I don't have any kitchen roll. Cost me £10 for 6 legs.

If it turns out horrible I'll cure for 12 hours and try the washing off salt method next time. :) I have made sure the duck is all under the oil as I don't want the skin to brown until I pan fry it. I have it at 140 and set timer for 3 hours as well, will test with a skewer to see if the meat is soft enough later. :D I reckon it will taste like seawater now but I don't mind salty food so fingers crossed.

I will use the fat a few more times unless it's salty as hell. I'm usually pretty good with seasoning things but can't really lick my duck legs to see how salty they are until cooked. :D

I guess it it's salty I can stick it all in pastry or something. Duck wellington anyone?

Thanks so much for your tips.
 
Checked on my quacks, they seemed to float so I put a plate on top for now to keep them in the oil, I will try get a better dish/pan next time around as it can fit 5 duck legs in but they are too cramped. :)
 
48 hrs could be too salty- depends how much salt you used. I like the poster above do mine sous vide and put the cure in the sv bag with everything else and cook it straight away- 12hrs at 80dc for that I use between 0.7 and 1% salt which I find to have the most palatable flavour (if you sv well cured legs they end up v salty as the salt has nowhere to go)

When doing confit the classic way, I cure for about 8hrs in salt, thyme and garlic any more than that is a bit too salty without soaking. bare in mind that traditionally confit was a method to preserve which would not necessarily end up with the best tasting end product but one that lasted a long time. the overall saltiness will depend on the amount of fat you use as the salt will dissipate in the fat.
 
Mine actually turned out very nice, I tried one leg pan fried after letting it chill in the fridge. Was a bit salty, but the skin was still really enjoyable. Will marinate overnight next time. The meat came out very well, delicate, everything falling right off the bone, succulent and flavorful, really delicious!

I don't have a strainer to strain the fat so will keep it in the fridge and cook it again and strain, the fat naturally sets above the stock though so might be alright just scooping it out and using it for christmas dinner.

I don't think this batch will last me long so I've just wrapped it for now.

What dish would you guys use to cook this? Mine was a bit tight on space, not really deep or wide enough. May try in the slow cooker next time, as I could fit 8 legs in there easily and just cook it on low. :D

12 hours at 80c sounds like a recipe for some amazing meat! Is that in a pan or something else?
 
The 12 hours at 80C is sous vide (where food is usually vacuum sealed in food grade bags and then held at a constant temperature; 1C can make a difference with some foods).

You will not be able to replicate this using a conventional oven.
 
Strangely I am doing a confit duck thing for Xmas dinner with the family.

Confit the duck legs - adding thyme, bay, cinnamon and orange rind to the marinade, after 24 hours, clean off, add to melted duck fat, cook in the oven at 150 for about 4 hours - may pop a cinamon stick in the confit fat? Then shread, form 1/2 of the meat into cubes, chill in the fridge then when ready flour, egg, breadcrumbs and deep fry.

Use the other half of the confit duck, cook some cranberries, crush some chestnuts, mix with the duck confit and a little mustard and seasoning, shape into sausage shape, cover with parma ham, wrap tightly in clingfilm, then chill in the fridge. When ready remove from fridge, quickly fry the ballatine to crisp up the ham - sorted.

Also doing the duck breasts with soy and honey glaze, sliced on the side.

Served with pickled red cabbage, stacks of crushed potatoes (shaped in a chef ring), and I had better do all the usual trimmings too or Dad will go mental (roast carrot, roast parsnips, steamed Kale)

I will be using the duck carcasses to make a duck stock, reducing a bottle of wine by half, adding a bay leaf, thyme and orange and the stock, reduce by half again and add some butter at the end to make a shiny sauce.

Bit different for Xmas dinner - hope it works out and is not just a plate of slop ;)

The good thing is I can do most of the prep the day before, and only have to do the final cook off when the family are here, so all is well.
 
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That sounds delicious. :) I don't know about adding anything to the oil, I wouldn't myself in case it burns. 150 was way too high in my oven, the oil was boiling, at 100 it had a few bubbles but would like it even lower, 100c is the lowest for mine. Slow cooker next time!

Think I'm doing a roast ham and leg of lamb for Xmas dinner. Duck fat roasties, and the rest of the usual stuff.
 
Today was the day! Thanks for the heads up on the heat - only needed about 90 degrees in the oven. Also did not add anything to the confit fat. Thanks again.

It went well, the best bit was the confit duck breaded and deep fried - with this I had just added pepper and a little tarragon - squished it up, wrapped in clingfilm and set it in the fridge overnight and then flour, egg breadcrumbs, deep fat fry. T'was amazing.

The duck ballotine however was not so good. The parma ham was so salty this permeated into the confit duck and only enhanced the saltiness. It was OK but it was more akin to licking a stalactite than eating a duck delight.

What I should have done is added a little lemon juice and more cranberries as this would have helped to cut through a bit better. It was not a write off, it just was not a patch on the breaded patties. I also went overboard on the thyme a little and the sweetness of the chestnuts was lost. As its turns out the simpler breaded confit was much better then the more complex palma ham wrapped duck confit ballotine with thyme, mustard, and cranberries. Always the way - keep it simple!

The star was the braised red cabbage (white wine vinegar, brown sugar, juice of half an orange, half a cinnamon stick, a couple of star anise and a splash of water, heat up and add the shreaded red cabbage, put a tight fitting lid on and gently braise for 20 minutes). This was the bed for the duck and really helped cut through, cleanse the pallet with every bite and add a little crunch.

Overall a semi success.

Enjoy your xmas everyone! :)
 
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I might try your recipe when I make red cabbage! I love the stuff, must go very well with a nice confit duck leg!

I wish my oven went lower than 100c but it won't, will try to use my slow cooker! :)

I wonder if it matters if we stack our duck legs on top of eachother while cooking would mean I can use less fat?

Breaded does sound good!

I didn't have a strainer, need to get one! Instead I let the fat and jelly/stock separate in the fridge then spooned the fat into a dish, melted the fat and put my legs (the duck legs) in the fat.

Not sure what to do with the jelly/stock it look's like it would be absolutely amazing in some gravy, but not sure if it's safe to eat. I assume it is because I chilled it straight away, smells fine, no funny colour, and it has been preserved by about 4 inches of pure salted duck fat. YUMMY. XD

Merry Christmas!
 
What I really like about confit is taking not so great cuts of meat, almost inexpensive to most people, and turning them into something fantastic with such an old technique. :D

Might try with pork belly later on.

Sauteed potatoes and cabbage with my duck confit soon I hope.
 
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