Duck Confit- The Mother Recipe
Finding France: how to confit fatted ducks by the traditional Gascon method.
Consider this a first look at making Confit de Canard.
I want to give the time and space for these duck recipes as they are slightly more daunting than just cooking a single dish. So, each “Mother Recipe” will be filed in the Recipe File Archive independently, with the following dishes made with confit filed under the monthly group.
Confit de Canard is charcuterie of the highest order, transforming fresh duck meat into a more elegant and silky version of itself. In short, confit (from the French verb confire, to preserve) is the act of conserving meat in fat—traditionally duck, goose, or pork—using salt and heat to create a shelf-stable product. Considered a luxury item now by many, confit de canard is still a pantry staple in most Southwest France households, bistros, and restaurants. We confit all of the duck—legs, breasts, wings, neck, and gizzards using the meat in different recipes throughout the winter and summer.
Seasonally, one confits at home (as described below) between November and March or buys it year-round in cans or jars at supermarkets, farmers’ markets, or butcher shops. Confit de canard is also readily available by mail order from online sources internationally. There are more than 8,000 listings on “where to find confit de canard” on Google!
However, if you want to make your own confit—whether for
use in cassoulet, in other dishes, or to enjoy on its own—this brief tutorial should make it approachable and easy in your own home kitchen.
Note: In France, a proper fatted duck (usually a Muscovy/Pekin hybrid called a Mullard) will be raised for 14 to 16 weeks and then fattened on whole corn for 11 to 14 days. This fattening process produces a big duck weighing 6 to 7 kilos. My instructions are for preparing traditional confit de canard with a mature fatted duck weighing 6-plus-kilos (13-plus-pounds). The fatted duck carcass will yield enough fat to render the confit. But if working with smaller, leaner, and younger ducks, you might need to buy additional duck fat and adjust cooking times. Expect to use around 2 to 4 cups of duck fat for each duck. Directions below.