30 mins
+ waiting
Confit de Canard (Duck Confit)
Recipe by Graham
Confit de Canard (Duck Confit) is one of our absolute favourites and, whenever we serve it to non-French guests, they fall in love with it too (most French people already love it!). This hearty French dish is anything but healthy - and all the more tasty for it. Make to brighten up a winter day.
In France, we are lucky in being able to get tins of Confit de Canard in the local shops.In fact, we order it direct from the producers, Godard of Gourdon - France since the genuine Duck Confits from the South-West have the exceptional taste of the greatest gastronomic specialities of Quercy-Perigord. However, most people are not so lucky, so here's how to make it and enjoy it without having to go to France to get it!!
Cold Peking Pork 
Continental Fried Potato Salad Ingredients for Confit de Canard (Duck Confit)
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Confit de Canard (Duck Confit)
- For four people you will need two ducks or, alternatively, if you can get duck legs (with thighs) you can buy four thighs along with about 2lb (1kg) of duck fat. If that sounds strange, it's because, with two whole ducks, you can make more than enough duck fat for this recipe and have lots left over for other uses (you may have noticed that, in many recipes on this site, I use duck fat.)
- No matter which method you use, you need to prepare a day in advance for this recipe (now you know why we buy them ready-made!!). After having removed the duck legs (complete with thighs), coat them thoroughly with coarse sea salt. Place them in a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave them to steep in a cool place (fridge) for 24 hours.
- Meanwhile, to make the duck fat, finely chop or grind the fat off the ducks and place it in a pan. Leave it to melt little by little over a very low heat until all the fat has melted. Pass the fat through a fine sieve (strainer), then use the back of a ladle to press any remaining meat or skin pieces in the sieve (strainer) to extract the fat. You'll end up with plenty of duck fat which you should pour into jars (with lids) and keep it in the fridge until needed (it will keep for months).
1 
Finely chop or grind the fat off the duck 2 
Place the fat in a pan 3 
and leave it to melt over a very low heat 4 
The pieces of fat will melt bit by bit 5 
Until all the fat has melted 6 
Pass it through a fine sieve (strainer) 7 
Use the back of a ladle to press any remaining meat or skin pieces to extract the fat 8 
And you'll end up with plenty of duck fat. Pour it into jars (with lids) and keep it in the fridge until needed (it will keep for months) - The following day, the duck is macerated (softened) and the fat has solidified.
- Remove the duck legs (with thighs) from the fridge and rinse them in fresh water. Wipe them well with kitchen paper to dry them. Place the legs in the bottom of a wide pan along with enough fat to completely cover them when melted. The fat should be just bubbling very gently and slowly - about 70ºC (140ºF)
- Leave the legs to cook gently for 2 - 2½ hours (the cooking should be long but at a low heat and this is one of the very few recipes where a thermometer is recommended).
- If the thighs are small, two hours cooking will be sufficient. If they are large, 2½ hours is better. You can verify that they are very tender by pushing a fork into the flesh. The teeth of the fork should penetrate without resistance.
- Remove the duck and place into a dish until needed. You can pass the fat through a sieve (strainer) again, and keep it in the fridge.
- 15 minutes before needing them, place the duck legs in a large frying pan (skillet) over a low-medium heat and warm them through. After 10 minutes, turn the legs over so the skin side is down and increase the heat until the skin has become golden brown.
- Serve with Sautée Potatoes and Cepes (penny bun or porcino) mushrooms.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Wondering what to do with the duck breasts? No problem, use our Duck with Peppercorns recipe and enjoy...
Reviews of Confit de Canard (Duck Confit)
| July 13 2014 I had confit de canard the first time I ever went to France and I loved it. Then I saw this recipe and thought, "why not". The only "ingredients" are duck and salt, so it can't be too difficult! And it wasn't! Rendering down the fat was a little time-consuming but I am left with a big jar of duck fat in the refrigerator that I will use for other cooking. The result was a meal that the whole family raved over. I found some tins of cepes at our local market and cooked them with sautee potatoes. It was a gastronomic success! Bravo for the recipe. jody (3 reviews) |
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