Duck confit is a popular recipe developed to extend the shelf life of meat. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatly)
Duck confit may seem trendy among diners and critics, but it’s a recipe—or method—that’s centuries old. Confit comes from the French verb “confire,” which means “to preserve,” and before the invention of refrigeration, confit was an effective way to extend the shelf life of meat, such as duck, goose, or pork.
The method works in the way of heavily salting meat before cooking and sealing it in fat, which inhibits the growth of bacteria. Duck fat is most typical, imparting its subtle rich flavors into meats, and after hours of slow cooking, the toughest cuts become luxuriously silky. Duck confit is closely associated with Gascony in southwest France and remains a regional specialty.
You can pretty much confit any meat, but cooking times will vary. I’ve confited whole rabbits, pheasant, and wild turkey legs, but confit de canard (duck confit) remains the best tasting of all (as well as goose). Similarly, you can confit with other fats, such as lard, tallow, schmaltz, or even olive oil, but duck fat is superior for its mild flavor and pleasant mouth feel. Serious hunter-cooks might keep wild duck or goose fat on hand, but if you don’t, rendered duck fat is relatively easy to find these days at the store or online. If I had to choose a substitute, I’d reach for schmaltz, or chicken fat.
Although the original intent of confit is to keep meat for months without refrigeration, I would treat this recipe like any other food. Eat it within a week or keep it in the freezer for long term storage. Food preservation is a skill that requires impeccable method and conditions for success, and this recipe was written for flavor and simplification. The duck fat may be strained of duck juices and solids, refrigerated, and reused for confit or another use.
Wild duck legs are quite small, and because this is a fairly involved dish, I would recommend multiplying the recipe if you have the meat available. It will be worth it.
Duck Confit with Roasted Fennel Serves: 2 Prep Time: 24 hours Cooking Time: 6-8 hours
Ingredients:
1 pound of wild duck (or goose) legs 11⁄2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage leaves 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon fennel fronds 2 medium shallots 2 teaspoon juniper berries 3 cloves of garlic 11 ounces rendered duck fat, melted Small bunch of thyme Roasted Fennel:
2 large fennel bulbs Salt and pepper Roasted Fennel:
1 small shallot, minced (about 11⁄2 tablespoons) 3⁄4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1⁄2 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme 1⁄2 teaspoon honey, or to taste Grated zest of an orange 1⁄4 cup orange juice 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Directions:
Pat duck legs dry with paper towels, season evenly with 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of kosher salt and set aside. In a small food processor, combine sage, rosemary, fennel fronds, shallots, garlic, and juniper berries, and pulse into a coarse paste. Spread half of the herb mixture and a few sprigs of thyme into the bottom of a pan where all the legs can fit snugly in one layer. Lay the salted duck legs on top, and then spread the remaining herb paste to cover the duck, along with more thyme. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12–24 hours; the longer you allow the duck to cure, the saltier it will taste.(Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatly) (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatly) When ready to cook, preheat oven to 210° Fahrenheit. Rinse the duck legs to remove herb mixture and excess salt, and then pat them dry with paper towels. Place the legs in a deep pan where they can fit snugly together; the bigger the pan, the more fat you’ll have to use. Pour melted duck fat over the legs and ensure they are fully submerged. If you don’t have enough duck fat, make up the difference with another fat, such as melted tallow, lard, schmaltz (preferable), or olive oil. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 210° oven on the middle rack for 5–8 hours, or until duck legs become nearly fall-off-the-bone tender, but still intact. (I used mallard legs, and I took them out after 5 hours and 30 minutes. Goose legs will take longer to cook.) When ready to eat, fish out the legs from the fat and sear in a hot pan until the skin turns brown and crispy. To roast fennel, preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Trim off green stalks and cut the bulb into 1-inch slices. Toss fennel with olive oil and salt to taste and spread out onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast on the middle rack for 30–40 minutes, or until caramelized and tender. If the fennel starts to look dry, cover with a piece of foil to capture steam. When ready to serve, whisk together orange dressing ingredients to emulsify and season with salt and pepper. Spoon dressing over roasted fennel to serve with duck confit.
