Confit de Canard
Confit literally means 'preserved,' and the technique predates refrigeration by centuries, originating in southwestern France as a way to keep duck and goose meat through the winter months. Salt draws moisture out of the meat's surface, and cooking and storing it in its own fat creates an environment where bacteria can't grow — the meat keeps for weeks in the fridge, fully submerged. What separates a successful confit from a failed one is cooking temperature: the fat must stay consistently below a simmer, otherwise the meat dries out and turns stringy instead of staying tender. The crisp skin is added only at serving time — if it were fried beforehand and stored that way, it would soften again during storage in the fat.
Overnight salting
Draws out moisture and concentrates flavour before cooking
Slow-cooked in fat, not hot oil
Below a simmer, for hours, for a tender texture
Rendered duck fat
Legs cook fully submerged in their own fat
Crisp skin at the end
Fried separately, right before serving
Ingredients 4 servings
- 4 duck legs (thigh + drumstick)
- 40g coarse salt
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
- 800ml-1kg duck fat (enough to fully submerge the legs)
How to make it
- 1SALT THE LEGS: rub each leg with salt, crushed garlic, crumbled bay leaf and crushed pepper.
- 2Place in a dish, cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
- 3RINSE AND DRY: remove the legs from the fridge, wipe off the salt and seasonings with paper towel, then pat well to dry the surface.
- 4MELT THE FAT: heat the duck fat in a wide pot over low heat until fully melted and clear.
- 5SUBMERGE THE LEGS: place the legs in an ovenproof dish and pour the melted fat over them until fully covered.
- 6Add fresh thyme.
- 7COOK SLOWLY: put the dish in the oven at 130°C, uncovered, for 2.5-3 hours, until the meat pulls easily from the bone but stays intact.
- 8COOL AND STORE: let the legs cool in the fat, then keep them fully submerged in the fat in the fridge — they'll keep for weeks this way.
- 9CRISP THE SKIN: remove the legs from the fat, wipe off the excess and fry skin-side down in a hot pan for 5-7 minutes, until crisp and golden.
- 10SERVE: transfer to a plate skin-side up and serve immediately, while the skin is still crisp.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
