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Confit de Canard
Duck legs cured with salt and herbs, then cooked low and slow in their own fat until impossibly tender. A French bistro legend.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Confit de Canard, in 5 ideas
- The salt cure seasons the meat and draws out moisture for better texture
- Cooking at very low heat breaks down connective tissue without drying the meat
- Confit keeps for weeks submerged in fat in the fridge
- Crisping the skin at the end gives the contrast of crunchy and silky
- Save the leftover fat; it is liquid gold for roasting potatoes
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs (thigh and drumstick)
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves, crumbled
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, cracked
- 4 cups duck fat, melted
How to make it
Directions
- Rub the duck legs with salt, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns.
- Refrigerate uncovered 24 hours to cure.
- Rinse the cure off and pat the legs completely dry.
- Place in a deep pot and cover fully with melted duck fat.
- Cook in a 225 F oven for 3 hours until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
- Cool in the fat, then crisp the skin in a hot skillet before serving.
Money saver. Duck fat is reusable. Strain it after cooking and freeze it for the next batch or for the best roast potatoes of your life.