Easy Confit Duck

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French cooking is famous for its decadence, with overt usage of Butter, Oil, and Fat to create rich and indulgent dishes. Perhaps the most indulgent of them all is a classic Confit Duck. This utterly delicious preparation of Duck is made by slowly cooking the Duck in Duck Fat, leaving it irresistibly tender and tasty. In this recipe we’ll share with you how to make an Easy Confit Duck dish at home

The fundamental process for making Confit Duck

What makes Confit Duck unique is the process in which it is cooked. That is, the Duck is slowly cooked while being completely submerged in fat. The most French and traditional way to do so is using Duck Fat. The Duck Fat is melted so it turns into a liquid form, then the Duck Legs are submerged in that Fat and slowly roasted in the oven

There is a short-cut version (of sorts) that we will use in this recipe. That is, instead of using rendered Duck Fat, we use Olive Oil. The outcome is virtually the same, as the process is not really changed with this ingredient swap

Olive Oil is a great alternative for Duck Fat, here’s why

Olive Oil is basically fat, so it achieves the same result as using Duck Fat. Why we prefer using Olive Oil is purely due to availability and cost effectiveness. Duck Fat is quite expensive to purchase, particularly given the quantities needed for a Duck Confit. Olive Oil by comparison is a lot cheaper, and still yields a high quality, delicious result

So, while this is still a classic preparation for making Confit Duck, some traditionalists and purists will argue that the only way to make this dish is by using Duck Fat. If you want to make it the traditional way, simply substitute Olive Oil for Duck Fat

We’d recommend buying Duck Fat from the grocery store as opposed to trying to render enough Duck to make your own. As we need to completely submerge the Duck in fat for this recipe to work, you’ll need at least 6 cups worth (likely more depending on the size of the container you are using). So, it can get pricey which is why we recommend using Olive Oil for a delicious, Easy Duck Confit Dish to enjoy

Before we cook the Duck it needs to be cured for 24 hours

The process of ‘curing’ meat is essentially a way to help preserve it. In the instance of Duck Confit, the curing process is more used as a way to help intensify the flavors in the meat before it is cooked. This is the traditional method for preparing the dish, and is one we use in our Easy Duck Confit Recipe

It’s a super-simple process of applying a mixture of Salt and Sugar to the Duck. Just give it some good coverage all over (both on the flesh and meat side). Then seal it up in a container or just place the Duck in a bowl and cover with cling film. Place it in the refrigerator overnight allowing the curing process to work

Before you start to cook the Duck we recommend taking it out of the refrigerator about 1 hour prior. This will help to bring the Duck back up to room temperature, enabling you to cook the Duck evenly throughout

Using the most appropriate container to cook the Duck is important

This is a big one when preparing Duck Confit. You want to use an oven-safe bowl that will ‘just’ fit the Duck you’re cooking in it. This is so you essentially don’t have to use an excessive amount of Oil / Fat to cook the Duck

The critical part of cooking a great Duck Confit is ensuring the entire Duck is submerged in fat. So, the smaller the container, the less Fat you’ll have to use / less money it’ll cost you in the long run

We found a great oven-safe bowl that we typically use in a lot of our Soup recipes that fit perfectly for the Duck. Just make sure whatever bowl you use that it is indeed oven safe

Time to load in the Fat and Cook!

Nestle that beautiful Duck in the bowl and then fill it up with Oil / Duck Fat so that the Duck is completely submerged. We added a bunch of Garlic Cloves to the bowl to also cook up some Confit Garlic while the Duck is cooking away

Adding aromatics like Garlic, Thyme, or Rosemary is a very common addition when making Duck Confit, so feel free. We didn’t have any herbs available when making this dish, so we excluded it. Quite frankly, you’re not going to really infuse that much flavor into the Duck, so you can just avoid using Herbs. No big deal

Then all you need to do it carefully place it in the oven at 225 and slowly cook it for about 2 ½ hours. The cooking time doesn’t need to be super specific. After about 2 hours I’d recommend checking the internal temperature of the Duck. It’ll probably be in the high 100’s, which is great. Basically, anything over 160F is good to go, but when slow roasting it could go as high as 200F, which is also fine

Remove everything from the Oven and then carefully lift the Duck out of the Oil and set it aside. Don’t pat down the Oil from it yet, as you’ll need some of that Oil coating the Duck for the final step

Finally, make the Duck beautiful and crispy before it’s time to eat!

Perhaps the most critical part of making our Easy Duck Confit is the final step, getting that skin beautiful and crispy! A hallmark of a great Duck Confit is beautiful crispy skin. The secret to achieving this is simply to fry the Duck on the stovetop for a few minutes. That’s it!

The Duck is already completely cooked, and during that slow cooking process the Duck Fat has already rendered out. All that is left to do is apply a bit of direct heat to the skin to get it crisp. It’ll take about 5 minutes or so, and we recommend doing this over medium heat in a large frying pan

Try to move the Duck around a bit to get all parts of the Duck beautiful and crispy. Just use tongs and hold the Duck in different positions so that all the surface area of the Duck gets some time on the direct heat. After a few minutes it’ll be done, and ready to enjoy!

Easy Duck Confit Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Duck Legs (Duck Maryland)
• ½ Gallon / 8 cups / 2 liters of Olive Oil (or Duck Fat)
• 5 Garlic Cloves (optional)
• 1 tsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Cure the Duck Legs by rubbing them thoroughly with Salt and Sugar and then refrigerating them for 24 hours in a sealable container
2. When ready to cook, remove the Duck from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature
3. Add the Duck Legs to a small oven safe container along with the Garlic. Fill the container with Oil, ensuring the Duck Legs are completely submerged
4. Place in the Oven pre-heated to 225F. Cook for 2 ½ hours until the Duck is completely cooked and tender. Remove the Duck and Garlic from the Oven and set aside
5. To make the Duck Skin crispy and ready to serve, fry it over medium heat in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes until browned all over
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can use either Olive Oil or rendered Duck Fat to cook the Duck legs. We recommend Olive Oil as it is a cheaper alternative, yielding a similar result
• To avoid having to use excess Oil, choose a dish that just fits the Duck Leg(s)
  
  

As far as classic French recipes go, this Easy Duck Confit dish is right up there with one of the tastiest you can make. It’s loaded with flavor but is still light enough to enjoy without feeling weighed down. You can pair this Duck dish with so many great sides, from classic Mashed Potatoes to some fresh Vegetables

Here are a few of our favorite side dishes we’d recommend you pair with this amazing Duck Confit Dish!

• Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin
• The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever
• Oven Roasted Fennel
• Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic
  
  

Happy Cooking!