Since there are many good recipes including ducks available locally, we advise people to eat them rather than insure them.
Duck Confit (confit de canard)
Serves 8:
- 16 duck legs
- 2 kg of chicken/duck/goose fat
- 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, thyme and rosemary
- 1 tbsp of chopped garlic
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp of coarse salt
- 1tbsp of granulated sugar
Preparation
Trim the duck legs of excess fat and rub with the coarse salt and the chopped herbs.
Place in a tray over an absorbent towel and cover.
Leave overnight. In a tall pot, melt the fat at low/medium heat.
Strain and filter.
Install a low bowl or a plate upside down at the bottom of the pot and place the duck legs in the pot.
The duck legs should never be less than a couple of inches above the bottom of the pot.
Make sure also that they are completely submerged. Gently poach at low heat (90 C) for approximately three hours.
A higher heat would turn the process into deep frying.
The duck legs must be so tender that you could drive a cardboard match through its flesh.
Be careful not to overcook as it would fall apart. Place in a bowl or other container and pour the fat on top to seal it from the air.
Refrigerate.
The fat will probably crack when solidifying.
Top with a little melted fat.
The dish is now preserved and can be kept for a week.
To serve, extract the legs gently from the fat without breaking them, and roast or broil in a hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the skin is crispy.