| | Published February 20th, 2019
| Duck confit
| | | By Susie Iventosch |  | | Duck confit Photo Susie Iventosch |
(Serves 4)
For duck:
4 Pekin or Long Island duck hindquarters (legs and thighs attached)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons pink Himalayan salt, or sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 springs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon snipped into small pieces
4 bay leaves
10 ounces (give or take) duck fat (I used store-bought duck fat, so I didn't have to render my own)
The initial preparation for the duck must be done at least 24 hours prior to cooking. Mix the garlic, salt, pepper and snipped rosemary and rub on both the top and bottom of the duck quarters. Place half of the shallots and half the thyme springs on the bottom of a glass dish. Now place the duck in a single layer on top of the shallots and thyme. Place remaining shallots and thyme on top of duck. Tuck bay leaves and rosemary sprigs in and around duck. Cover tightly and refrigerate 24 hours prior to cooking.
When ready to cook duck, rinse the meat in cold water to eliminate most of the salt, herbs and shallots and pat dry with paper towels. This step is very important, otherwise the meat will be much too salty. Tuck tightly in a single layer into a deep casserole dish. Melt duck fat in a saucepan, and once melted, pour over and all around duck. Bake in 225 F oven for 2 hours. Turn up heat to 325 F, and cover loosely with foil. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Meat should be tender and fall off the bone.
To serve, slice sausage and add to sauce. Heat sauce over medium heat until hot. Plate duck quarters and spoon sauce and whole shallots over each serving.
For sauce:
4 uncooked sausages (I used chicken-tarragon)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large shallots, sliced
12 small shallots (about the size of large garlic cloves) peeled and kept whole
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup duck or chicken stock (I used 1 tablespoon "More Than Gourmet" Roasted Duck and Chicken Stock paste plus one cup of water)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil, add whole sausages and brown, turning several times. When just cooked, remove from pan and wrap in foil. Set aside.
In the same pan, add remaining oil, sliced and whole shallots, garlic and herbs, and cook until shallots begin to caramelize. You want the whole shallots to be golden-brown. Add more oil as needed. Once the shallots are browned, add wine and cook until reduced in half. Add duck or chicken stock and continue to simmer over low heat until slightly thickened and reduced to about half. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve. |
How to render your own duck fat: https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Rendered-Duck-Fat or https://www.dartagnan.com/how-to-render-duck-fat.html
If you can't find duck fat at your local market try these sites: https://tinyurl.com/y5rmxmnu or https://tinyurl.com/y4ktx3bu
http://fabriquedelices.com/wmm_product/rendered-duck-fat-small/
To buy More than Gourmet Roasted Duck and Chicken Stock: https://www.morethangourmet.com/poultry-stocks-and-sauces-classic-roasted-duck-and-chicken-stock |
 | | Susie can be reached at suziventosch@gmail.com. This recipe can be found on our website: www.lamorindaweekly.com. If you would like to share your favorite recipe with Susie please contact her by email or call our office at (925) 377-0977. | | | | | | | | | | | |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA