THIS DISH MUST BE STARTED AT LEAST THE DAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO SERVE
This is my signature dish! I’ve spent years perfecting every little detail to make the perfect confit duck. The greatest compliment I have had was from a French guest who said it was better than her Grandmothers.
Once you have mastered how to confit the duck legs, there are many versions you can make to suit all seasons. We love confit turkey legs at Christmas.
This recipe will need a lot of duck fat and rather than buy from the supermarket I would advise buying in a 1kg container from Cooks & Co on Amazon. Your duck fat can be reused up to 4 times.
GREEN SALT – a lot of chefs add their aromats to the fat they are using to confit (duck fat or olive oil) I add all the aromats at the salting stage to impart all those amazing flavours and no seasoning will need to be added at the end. I make a batch of “green salt” and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 months.
GET AHEAD – Once the duck legs have been confit they can be stored in duck fat for a couple of months in the fridge. The recipe here is for 4 but it’s worth doubling and storing for future dinners.
TOP TIP – After years of cooking these legs I have found that I get the best crispy skin when I remove the legs from the fat, and leave on a a baking tray for 30 minutes prior to final cooking
Serves 4
Equipment – food processor, roasting tin or heatproof casserole which will fit the legs snuggly
GREEN SALT
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp Maldon sea salt
1 fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
3 Bay leaves, roughly chopped
CONFIT DUCK
4 duck legs
4 tbsp Green salt
1 kg duck fat (enough to cover the legs)
Cut a cartouche out of baking paper to fit your cooking pan
Start by making your green salt. Using a mortar and pestle break down the black pepper. Add to the food processor with all the other salt ingredients and blitz to make a fragrant green salt.
Use a tablespoon of green salt per duck leg and rub it all over. Lie skin side down on a tray, cover loosely and leave in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
Remove from the fridge and you will see the water released in the bottom of the tray. Rinse each leg under the tap and pat dry.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 1/140C/120C Fan. Make sure you know the temperature of your oven, it should not be hotter that 120C in a fan oven
In a the deep roasting tin or heat resistant casserole dish, melt the duck fat on the stove top. Add the duck legs skin side up. Cover with a cartouche and put in the oven for 2 and ¾ hours.
Remove from the oven and the flesh should have moved away from the top of the drumstick. At this point you can store in the fridge covered in fat for future use.
To serve, heat the oven to Gas Mark 9/240C/220C fan, remove the legs from the fat, shaking as much excess off as possible. place on the baking tray and put in the hot oven for 20 minutes to crisp the skin.
The leftover duck fat should be poured into a container. Allow to cool and put in the fridge. The impurities and stock will set at the bottom and you can scrap the duck fat off the top and store to use again. In this instance, you cannot keep the stock that’s left at the bottom as it will be too salty to use in sauces.
Green Salt
- .5 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 4 tbsp Maldon sea salt
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves roughly chopped
- 3 bay leaves roughly chopped
Confit Duck
- 4 duck legs
- 4 tbsp Green salt
- 1 kg duck fat enough to cover the legs
Instructions
Start by making the green salt
- Using a mortar and pestle break down the black pepper. Add to the food processor with all the other salt ingredients and blitz to make a fragrant green salt.
Cure the duck legs
- Use a tablespoon of green salt per duck leg and rub it all over. Lie skin side down on a tray, cover loosely and leave in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
- Remove from the fridge and you will see the water released in the bottom of the tray. Rinse each leg under the tap and pat dry.
Confit the legs
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 1/140C/120C Fan. Make sure you know the temperature of your oven, it should not be hotter that 120C in a fan oven
- In a the deep roasting tin or heat resistant casserole dish, melt the duck fat on the stove top. Add the duck legs skin side up.
- Cover with a cartouche and put in the oven for 2 and ¾ hours.
- Remove from the oven and the flesh should have moved away from the top of the drumstick. At this point you can store in the fridge covered in fat for future use.
To serve
- Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 9/240C/220C fan,
- Remove the legs from the fat, shaking as much excess off as possible. place on the baking tray and put in the hot oven for 20 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Once cooked and the skin is nicec and crispy, remove from the ovena nd drain off the excess duck fat. Keep this as you can use it several times over or for roast potatoes etc.
- Server with my potato rosti and a nice irony cavelo nero
Re-use the duck fat
- Allow the drained fat to cool and put in the fridge. The impurities and stock will set at the bottom and you can scrap the duck fat off the top and store to use again. In this instance, you cannot keep the stock that’s left at the bottom as it will be too salty to use in sauces.
Winning recipe – this is a showstopper at dinner parties. Couldn’t be clearer in the instructions – followed them to the tee and turned out perfect.
This recipe is one of my favourites and goes down a treat with the family. Duck is so tasty with the flavours its infused in overnight and it literally falls off the bone. We’ve had the confit duck with fluffy mash, Carvelo Nero and fresh gravy or potato rosti, mixed grilled veg and gravy.
Highly recommend this easy to follow recipe – you wont be disappointed.
Thank you for your comments and your photo, so pleased that you enjoy making the dish