Duck
confit
Confit (, ) (from the French language, French word ''wikt:confire#French, confire'', literally "to preserve") is any type of food that is cooked slowly over a long period as a method of food preservation, preservation.
Confit, as a cooking term, ...
( ) is a
French dish made with whole
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
. In
Gascony, according to the families perpetuating the tradition of duck confit, all the pieces of duck are used to produce the dish. Each part can have a specific destination in traditional cooking, the neck being used for example in an invigorating soup, the
garbure
''Garbure'' (; ) is a thick French stew traditionally based on cabbage and Confit#Meat confit, confit d'oie,ROBUCHON, J., & MONTAGNÉ, P. (2001). Larousse gastronomique. New York, Clarkson Potter. though the modern version is usually made with ha ...
. Duck confit is also a traditional ingredient in many versions of
cassoulet
Cassoulet (, also ,; ) is a rich stew originating in southern France. The food writer Elizabeth David described it as "that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and h ...
.
Traditional preparation
While it is made across
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, it is seen as a specialty of
Gascony
Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...
. The confit is prepared in a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing a piece of meat (generally goose, duck, or pork) and then cooking it in its own fat.
The meat is rubbed with salt (which acts as a preservative), garlic, and sometimes herbs such as
thyme
Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...
, covered, and refrigerated for up to 36 hours, then cooked in an oven at a low temperature. The meat is slowly
poached at least until cooked, or until meltingly tender, generally four to ten hours.
The cooked meat can be transferred to a container and completely submerged in the fat. Skipping the salt curing stage greatly reduces the shelf life of the confit.
Confit is also sold in cans, which can be kept for several years. The flavourful fat from the confit may also be used in many other ways, as a frying medium for sautéed vegetables (e.g., green beans and garlic, wild or cultivated mushrooms), savory toasts, scrambled eggs or omelettes, and as an addition to shortcrust pastry for tarts and quiches.
A classic recipe is to fry or grill the legs in a bit of the fat until they are well-browned and crisp, and use more of the fat to roast some potatoes and garlic as an accompaniment.
The potatoes roasted in duck fat to accompany the crisped-up confit are called ''pommes de terre à la sarladaise''.
See also
*
List of duck dishes
References
External links
Three-in-One Recipe: How to Render Duck Fat, Create Duck Rinds, and Make Duck Confit (with pics)Duck Confit Part 1 Prep and Roast
{{French cuisine
French cuisine
Duck dishes