P
French · Gascony, France
Duck Confit
Duck legs cured in salt and aromatics overnight, then slow-cooked submerged in their own fat at 82C for 3-4 hours until the meat yields at the touch of a finger. The confit is then stored in the fat — this is a preservation technique that also happens to produce extraordinary flavour. The finishing step: crisp the skin in a hot pan until it shatters. The contrast of yielding meat and shatteringly crisp skin is the dish.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
4
duck legs with thighs
250 g each
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
25 g
fine sea salt
Your own market
3 g
curing salt
Your own market
4 g
Tellicherry black pepper
freshly ground
Your own market
1 g
dried thyme
Origin · FrancePurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
1
bay leaf
crumbled
Your own market
800 ml
rendered duck fat
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4
garlic cloves
smashed
Your own market
8
juniper berries
crushed
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2
fresh thyme sprigs
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Mix fine salt, curing salt, pepper, dried thyme, and bay leaf; rub evenly over duck legs, coating all surfaces; place on tray.
2
Cover with plastic film; cure in refrigerator 24 hours.
3
Rinse duck legs under cold water; pat completely dry with paper towels.
4
Heat duck fat in heavy pot to 65°C (use thermometer); add duck legs, garlic, juniper berries, and thyme sprigs; legs should be completely submerged.
5
Maintain temperature at 65–75°C for 4 hours, checking every 45 minutes; meat should pull easily from bone when fork-tested.
6
Remove from heat; cool slightly; transfer duck legs and fat to sterilized glass jar or crock; cool to room temperature.
7
Cover and refrigerate; duck confit keeps 3 months submerged in fat.
8
To serve: gently reheat in 160°C oven 20 minutes, or pan-sear skin-side down until crispy; serve with potatoes sarladaises or frisée aux lardons.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where duck confit lives or dies is the cold-start crisping. Place the confit skin-side down in a cold pan with no added fat. The duck itself contains enough surface fat to self-baste. Set the heat to medium-low and resist touching the duck for 10 full minutes. Peek at the edges — when you see a column of golden colour rising up the skin, the crisping is complete. The sound changes from sizzling to cracking. This is the sound of shattering skin.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Sparkling wine
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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