Duck Confit
Ingredients:
- Sea Salt - Handful
- Bay Leaf - 4
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Thyme - Handful
- Duck Legs - 4
- White Wine - 100ml
Instructions
- The day before you want to make the dish, scatter half the salt, half the garlic and half of the herbs over the base of a small shallow dish
- Lay the duck legs, skin-side up, on top, then scatter over the remaining salt, garlic and herbs
- Cover the duck and refrigerate overnight
- This can be done up to 2 days ahead
- Pour the wine into a saucepan that will snugly fit the duck legs in a single layer
- Brush the salt off the duck legs and place them, skin-side down, in the wine
- Cover the pan with a lid and place over a medium heat
- As soon as the wine starts to bubble, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook for 2 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid is just barely simmering
- (If you own a heat diffuser, it would be good to use it here
- ) After 2 hours, the duck legs should be submerged in their own fat and the meat should feel incredibly tender when prodded
- Leave to cool
- The duck legs are now cooked and can be eaten immediately – or you can follow the next step if you like them crisp
- If you are preparing ahead, pack the duck legs tightly into a plastic container or jar and pour over the fat, but not the liquid at the bottom of the pan
- Cover and leave in the fridge for up to a month, or freeze for up to 3 months
- The liquid you are left with makes a tasty gravy, which can be chilled or frozen until needed
- To reheat and crisp up the duck legs, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7
- Remove the legs from the fat and place them, skin-side down, in an ovenproof frying pan
- Roast for 30-40 mins, turning halfway through, until brown and crisp
- Serve with the reheated gravy, a crisp salad and some crisp golden ptoatoes