The Art of Confit

The Fall is my favorite time of year to cook. It is the season when I pull out all of my favorite Classic French recipes and techniques. The smell of hearty soups and stews just makes my heart sing. This is also the time of year that I start to think about making Confit. There is something magical about this ancient process. Simple poultry or pork is turned into one of the world's culinary treasures. The process is simple, but does require some time if the final product is to achieve its full potential.

Confit is traditionally made using goose. This tough, fatty beast makes an absolutely glorious confit. Duck is also traditional, as well as pork. Today in the Southwest of France, confit is made with chicken, turkey, and just about anything that can be preserved.

So what exactly is confit? The Larousse Gastronomique defines it as "a piece of pork, goose, duck, or turkey cooked in its own fat and stored in a pot, covered in the same fat to preserve it."
It is one of the oldest forms of food preservation that was developed in Southwest France to keep meat for the long, lean months after the fall harvest/slaughter.

Today, with modern refrigeration, one would think that making confit would be obsolete. That would be true except for one very important fact; confit is incredible. It is hard to describe this transformation. Let's just say that fatty, tough meat is transformed into a rich, concentrated, succulent taste sensation. The confit process gently removes water from the meat, thereby concentrating its flavors. The process also tenderizes the meat to an almost melting consistency. There is nothing else like it!

Traditionally, only the leg, thigh, and wings of poultry are used for confit as these are the tougher cuts. The breast does not take as well to confit as it tends to dry out. With pork, the tougher cuts are also used, shoulder, ribs, etc...

The method for making confit is quite simple. If you have not made your own confit, you should try it at least once to experience the magic of this process. Of course today you can buy confit in cryovac packages, but it is not the same.

Here is a simple method for making your own confit of duck. Don't be scared, just try it.

3 5 pound ducks

1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt

1 bunch fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

The first thing to do is to butcher the ducks. Remove the leg/thigh portion, wings, breasts, and any giblets. Trim all of the fat and skin from the carcass.

Pack up the breasts and giblets to use another day. All we are interested in is the fat, leg/thigh, and wings. Also, save the trimmed carcass to make duck stock. Nothing is wasted in French Cuisine!

Place all of the trimmed fat and skin into a large pot. Add cold water to cover and bring to a boil. We are rendering the fat and the water will help in this process. After all of the water evaporates, you will be left with pure fat. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook until the skin pieces begin to turn brown. Let them get golden and crispy. Turn off heat, allow to cool for 20 minutes, and drain off fat. Be Careful, the fat is still quite hot. Put fat into a bowl and refrigerate. Save the duck cracklings, they are great in salads or with eggs. Nothing is wasted in French Cuisine!

While the fat is rendering, place the leg/thigh pieces and wings into a nonreactive container. Sprinkle with the salt, and add the seasonings. Mix together. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove duck pieces and fat from the refrigerator. Place fat into a large pot being careful not to scrape in any of the liquid or sediment that may be at the bottom of the bowl. Place fat over low heat to melt.

Rinse duck pieces under running water to remove the salt and seasonings. Pat very dry with paper towels. Place duck into melted fat and increase heat until fat begins to just simmer. Maintain the fat at this gentle simmer. Cook the duck for 2 to 3 hours depending on how large the pieces are and how tough the duck.

To check if the duck is ready, poke with a thin knife or a skewer. If the knife goes in easily and the meat seems meltingly tender, the duck is ready. Be careful not to overcook or the duck will fall apart into the fat.

Transfer the duck pieces to a storage container and strain the fat over. The confit may now be used in your recipes, or enjoyed by itself . Confit begins to develop its full flavor character after about 1 month of storage.