Thursday, June 5, 2008

Confit Duck Legs


Ingredients

6 duck marylands.
Approx 1 ltr of either duck fat, goose fat, lard, or a combination of all three.
About 100g salt.
6 – 8 black peppercorns.
2 – 3 bay leaves.
2 – 3 garlic cloves, crushed.
2 – 3 juniper berries, crushed.
Sprig rosemary.
Sprig thyme.

Method
Liberally rub marylands with salt, then rest for 2 – 4 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 80°C.
Rinse marylands under water and pat dry.
In a large, deep oven dish or casserole, arrange marylands and herbs.
Cover entirely with fat; legs must be covered by at least 1cm of fat above top of flesh.
Cook in oven for 5 hours.
Carefully remove marylands from pan, rest aside.
Reserve fat.
Once fat and legs are cooled, strain fat through fine sieve.
Place marylands in a sterilized container, covering with strained fat, and refrigerate.
Marylands will keep like this for some time, and are best after at least 1 – 2 days.
To serve, remove marylands from fat, leaving a fine layer of grease, and either 1) pan-fry over moderate heat for 8 – 10 minutes, until crisp, or 2) roast at 180°C for 20 – 30 min, until crisp.
Serve with a salad of rocket, walnuts, and finely diced pear, dressed with a simple dressing.

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