Incredibly Easy Duck Confit

[Chef Kate]

Has anyone tried Duck Confit in an Oven Bag? It's posted here by Ice Cool Kitty with no reviews. I watched Sarah Moulton make it on television. It looked fabulous and Ms. Moulton swears by it.

[chia]

i haven't made confit in a long time but another great recipe posted here is by p4. i'll have to try the recipe you recommended.

[Chef Kate]

Chia!!
I went to look for the P4 confit and got lost in the wonderful recipes --- actually P4 has Duck Confit, which is a classic version, and to which you gave a rave review. P4 also has Chinese-Style Duck Confit which sounds terrific too -- and which you also made and loved.

Then of course there is Crock Pot Duck Confit, posted by Chef Chia -- a simpler method (akin to the Sarah Moulton I referred to) and which sounds great.

Maybe we should do a confit class--taught by you!

[Zurie]

Duck confit has long fascinated me, but I've never had the guts to try it.

Now I have a duck in the freezer (not very large), and I actually have an unopened bottle of goose fat from France to supplement the duck's own fat.

I lean towards the classic version, P4's Duck Confit, but I still have questions!

What would go wrong if by any chance the fat does start bubbling/cooking? Is that bad? (If maybe I don't watch all the time).

Also, when the duck's done: does one scrape off all the fat, or should the duck be refrigerated in some of the fat?

Can the duck confit be heated up again, and eaten as a main course? (Stupid questions, but this is fairly unknown territory to me -- but I'd love to try it!)

[RiverRat]

Here's another question: Chia's Crockpot Duck Confit calls for the use of sugar whereas the others do not. Which gives a more authentic flavor, or is it like cassoulet with many different versions, none of which is more correct than the other? I have been wanting to make confit de canard for ages, and have the duck legs in the freezer. I should have enough duck fat the next time I cook one of the whole ducklings I've got frozen.

I don't use oven bags; I wonder whether there's another alternative to the method.

[Chef Kate]

What a wonderful way to spend a cold, snowy Saturday morning. I'm sitting on my bed, surrounded by cookbooks and with a cup of cafe au lait at hand. The various books are open to confit recipes and I'm having a great time reading up on it.

Zurie, according to Judy Rodgers (Zuni Cafe, "uneven heat means the meat releases lots of its juice, producing a less succulent confit. I (Judy that is) try to hold the fat at 200 to 205 degrees F." Similarly, the Larousse Gastronomique says make sure the fats simmers while cooking, but do not let it boil.

And Zurie, you do store the confit in the fat--if it is completely immersed in the fat, it will keep for months. And then, you can carefully dig out pieces, scrape off the fat, bring it room temp and then either eat it in a salad or whatever or heat it. If you have been careful in removing the pieces and there's more in the storage container, it can go back in the fridge--as long as all the remaining meat is covered.

River Rat, I think it is like cassoulet--everyone has her particular way--I think the main thing is the right amount of salt, the right amount of fat and the proper cooking. Paula Wolfert calls for shallots, garlic, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme all in the initial soak. But when she cooks the duck, she just adds a whole head of garlic, cut in two, with a whole clove stuck in each half.

As for the cooking bags, I 've never used one ever--but it just seemed sort of cool--and very neat(no huge greasy mess to clean up). Interestingly, Paula Wolfert thinks a slow cooker is ideal for confit.

We really should do a confit thing soon.

[RiverRat]

Thanks, Chef Kate. Yes, we should do a confit cook. I think I shall try the slow cooker recipe. But it all looks very good.

Don't some people can it? Or is it possible to freeze it?

[Zurie]

Thanks, Kate!!

I'm getting the idea -- just still wary about jumping in! (WHY wasn't I born in France???? )

I'm thinking of scouting around for a 2nd duck. I live in the sticks, so getting certain ingredients can be hard.

I bought (hoooo-boy, at a price!!!) goose and duck fat, imported, in the Western Cape last year. That province has everything. I'm sure they might even have truffles on demand.

[Chef Kate]

RiverRat wrote:
Don't some people can it? Or is it possible to freeze it?

I don't know--I think when you buy it from a purveyor like D'Artagnan it comes vacuum packed?? As far as freezing it--you don't have to because it really will last for months if properly and completely immersed in the fat.

I've been looking at some of the recipes that include confit -- fabulous salads in particular...

getting hungry.

[RiverRat]

Well, if we do try an online group confit exercise you'll have to pass along those other recipes, although right now hot dishes sound better to me than cold; we have snow here.

Rattie

[Chef Kate]

Here too--and while we don't have it as bad as many, it's been really unusually cold for here. Hot confit it is

[Zurie]

Well, after all your great info, Kate, I'll try it as soon as I have some free time (in short supply right now).

About cooking bags: I am very wary of ordinary plastic bags these days, but I can't always resist cooking bags (which surely is not really plastic? ) your oven can go up to 400 degF/200 deg C with them.

The MAIN thing to me is that it protects the oven from splatters!! AND the meat browns! But I have no idea how safe it is, health-wise.