Confit de Canard is a French speciality made from succulent duck and spices. It is normally served with red cabbage, chestnuts and potato croquettes.
ingredients
serves 10 - 12
2 plump ducks weighing 2 kg (4 1/2 lbs) each
4 oz (100 g) 1/2 cup sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4 oz (100 g) lard
method
1. Draw ducks, if applicable, then cut into 8 pieces each. Wash and dry them, removing and setting aside any fat.
2. Mix salt with pepper and thyme and rub well into duck portions.
3. Put into large earthenware jar, sprinkle with remaining seasoning mix, cover and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
4. Render duck fat down! in large, heavy bottomed pan together with melted lard.
5. Lay duck portions carefully into hot fat before covering and simmering gently rather than frying for 1-2 hours.
6. After 1 hour, test meat by inserting a skewer into thickest part of thigh. If juices run out clear, the duck is cooked.
7. Take cooked meat off bone, put in layers into the well washed earthenware jar and pour cooled fat over it. The fat should cover the duck by a good 2 cm (3/4 in)
8. After another 24 hours, cover earthenware jar with foil and a lid, or a plate with a stone as weight; place in cool basement or refrigerator.
9. If only part of the duck is used at one time, the fat must be melted down again and poured over the remaining confit.
10. It will keep in this way for about 10 weeks.
11. Prepare the duck portions for a meal by roasting in the oven at 200°C (400°F) gas mark 6 until crisp and brown.
12. Serve accompanied by red cabbage with chestnuts and potato croquettes.
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