Confit

Confit is the French word confire meaning to preserve, and from the Latin word conficere meaning “to do” or to “prepare”. It is known to be one of the oldest ways to preserve food. There are two known confits; one is of meat the other is of fruit. In meat there is confit de’ oie (goose) or confit de canard (duck). Both have salt and herbs added to them then they are cooked in broth or fat, and then preserved in the rendered fat. Confit of duck or goose are considered a luxurious dish. Fruits confits are preserved in sugar the fruit is fully infused with sugar to its core. Large pieces of fruit take longer to prepare than small ones. Therefore it is rare to see large fruit confits. Small confits such as cherries are often used to decorate cakes.