Brought to us by Paul
Ingredients
tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Just mix it all up and keep in a tightly closed jar in a dark place. A little goes a long way. (Yes, the name means “four spices,” and it contains six spices; I have no explanation for this.)
Now to make the confit
4 meaty duck legs, thigh and drumstick together–if you have gizzards, hearts, wings, or necks, use those, too; the giblets and shreddy meat are great on a dinner salad
Fat to cover, about four cups (it needn’t be absolutely submerged as it cooks; the legs do tend to float somewhat, and you can turn them a couple of times in the cooking)
NOTE: I did not cover the legs in fat, but rather let them render down in the oven. This worked just fine, though maybe with a different breed of duck it would not. Mine was sourced from Au Bon Canard, which sells gigantic, fatty leg & thigh pieces.
quatre-épices
salt and pepper
garlic, eight to ten cloves, peeled and left whole
a couple of bay leaves
fresh thyme, optional
A day before you make the confit, you must salt and spice it: Dry the legs with paper towels, then salt them. I don’t use a particular amount of salt. What I do is, salt them once as you would season any kind of meat prior to cooking, but don’t be mean with the salt, season them well. Now do that again, and then once more. Do that on both sides. Add a generous grind of black pepper, then just a judicious sprinkling of the spice mixture, both sides. The legs shouldn’t be coated with the spices, just nicely speckled.
Cover them and place them in the fridge overnight, or for a couple of days, even. Prior to cooking, drain off any accumulated juices, and dry the legs with paper towels.
Heat your oven to 275 F. Arrange the legs in a single layer in a casserole or heavy pot large enough to hold legs and fat, without the fat coming right to the brim (I use our seven-quart Le Creuset dutch oven). Spread the garlic cloves around, and the bay leaves and thyme if you’re using it. Cover the duck with the fat, but, as I say, don’t worry if the legs broach the surface a bit–they will shrink with cooking, and also give off their own fat to add to the reservoir.
Cook for two to three hours, covered, turning the legs once or twice during that time. I look for the fat to be clear and bubbling at the end–it will cloud as juices come off the duck. Those juices will settle at the bottom of the pan, and you’ll want to save them–they’re a bit salty, but absolutely delicious.
Let the duck cool in the fat. You can use it the same day, or store it for a couple of weeks. Prior to cooking, dig the duck out of the fat and let it sit at room temp for excess fat to melt off. Then what I like to do is either fry or broil it to crisp the skin and warm the meat through.
I later used the garlic cloves from the confit to mash into some buttercream potatoes; I didn’t want to waste all of that great garlic! The cloves are infused with the flavor of the duck, and makes for an interesting complement to the confit.
Serves 4
Source: Troutcaviar
