Duck confit is one of the most important ingredients in a traditional cassoulet, from what I read, and should not be omitted. It's easy to make once you are able to actually locate duck fat (Balducci's has it in their freezer section). It does take time for the duck to properly preserve itself in the fat, so be sure to plan ahead. The recipe I used recommends that you make it 2-3 weeks early.
Duck Confit
from Epicurious
1.5 tbsp salt
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
3 sprigs thyme
freshly ground black pepper
4 duck quarters, trimmed
about 2 cups of duck fat
Sprinkle about 1/2 tbsp salt in the bottom of a container large enough to hold the duck in one layer but not much bigger than that. Scatter half of the garlic and shallots on the bottom of the container, then arrange the duck on top. Cover with the rest of the garlic, shallots, and the thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with some black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
Melt the duck fat in a small saucepan. Brush the seasonings off the duck and arrange in an oven-safe pot just large enough to hold the duck in one layer, and tall enough to hold all the fat. Cover the duck with the fat and cook slowly at 225° until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, 2-3 hours. The fat should be at a slow simmer during this time, so keep an eye on it and adjust your oven temperature as needed. I ended up having it at 260° to keep up a simmer.
Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Place the duck in a tupperware, again just large enough to hold them in one layer, and cover with the fat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 weeks and up to 6 months (!). Fun fact: the fat can be drained and re-used after this, but keep in mind that you will be using some of it for the cassoulet itself so don't get too excited. Or do, because this cassoulet is going to be ridiculous.
No comments:
Post a Comment