Duck Confit

• Ready In: 26 hrs 35 mins
• Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 (5 lb)  ducks
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 2  tablespoons black peppercorns, cracked
• 6  cups rendered duck or 6  cups  pork fat
• 12  cloves garlic, peeled
• 12  fresh thyme sprigs

Directions

1. Remove ducks' legs and breasts, saving remaining bones and wings for brown duck stock.
2. Leaving bones and skin attached, chop breasts into halves.
3. With a cleaver, remove tips of drumsticks to use in stock.
4. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, and set aside at room temperature 45 minutes.
5. Then place duck pieces in a Dutch oven with rendered fat, garlic and thyme. Cook over low heat, uncovered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. To test for doneness, pierce with a sharp fork.
7. It should just fall off fork when shaken.
8. Transfer duck pieces to a medium baking dish and add the fat. Let cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 24 hours or as long as 4 weeks.
9. Before serving, lift duck pieces out of fat. Remove and discard skin and any excess fat by warming slightly on a rack in the oven.
10. Serve duck hot or cold.