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Duck confit In our world where loss is measured in the passing years and hope, rests not with experience but the next new thing, the term “well preserved” summons as much misgiving as respect. To
say that a friend is well preserved is a compliment, but also a way of
noting that the person is older than oneself. Likewise,
at the table, eating homemade preserves on toast is reason to celebrate.
But try announcing that dinner tonight will be preserved meat and see
the reaction that you’ll get. Blame
the youth culture or the march of history, in which food went from
pickling and smoking to industrial canning to flash freezing. Whatever,
the cause, in the modern mind, “fresh” –means good food.
“Preserved” is for tin can people and only in an emergency. Like
any bias, fresh has its limits and nothing reveals that better than the
rapacious winter appetite. In the face of a craving for robust flavours
and serious heft, fresh alone falters. It needs the well preserved –
be it vinegar, wine, cheese, bacon, ham, or confit – for substance,
for contrast, for soul. In
the current culinary climate, confit could be the cook's new best
friend. From the French word confire, meaning to preserve, confit is
meat that has been salted to draw out moisture and condense the flesh.
It is cooked, ever so slowly, in fat, preferably its own. It is then
stored in the fat, sealing the meat and protecting it from the air and
ambient microbes that could hasten decay. Some
traditional recipes use herbs or spices: garlic studded with cloves, bay
leaves, onions or shallots. But the seasoning is secondary. At its best,
confit is meat preserved in itself, and therefore it becomes more of
itself. Its flavours become more pronounced and unified, and it becomes
heartbreakingly tender. Indispensable
to traditional cassoulet, the white bean dish of Toulouse, confit can
also be pan-seared and served with potatoes, white beans or lentils,
wild mushrooms, cabbage or bitter greens. However
it is deployed, confit changes everything. It delivers a taste of gentle
maturity to a dish. There
are limits to the glories of age: confit is safe for up to three months,
if well sealed and refrigerated. Though rare on the modern table, it is
proof that the best is yet to come. Next
week, I’ll provide recipes for making and serving duck confit. Duck
Confit Serves
4 4
duck legs 2
to 4 cups additional poultry fat or good quality oil 1/3
cup sea salt 4
shallots minced 6
thyme sprigs 2
teaspoons white peppercorns, crushed 6
juniper berries 1
head garlic, halved 1)
Roll each duck leg in the slat and then place the legs in a glass
or ceramic bowl and sprinkle with the shallots, thyme, peppercorns, bay
leaf, juniper berries and any remaining salt. Cover the bowl with
plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours. 2)
Remove the legs from the bowl, rinse quickly under running water
and wipe each piece with a paper towel to remove the salt, shallots,
herbs and any liquid. Set aside. 3)
Preheat the oven to 200 F. In a deep ovenproof kettle heat the
fat to just below the simmer. Add the duck legs, ½ cup water and the
garlic. Bring to a boil and then transfer the pot to the oven and cook
until the meat pulls away easily from the bone, about 2 to 2 ½ hours. 4)
Cool the duck pieces in the fat until they can be handled easily
but are still warm. Remove the pieces and discard the garlic. Strain the
warm fat through a sieve and discard the solids. Transfer the pieces to
2 large glass-canning jars and cover completely with melted fat. When
cool, cover the containers tightly and store in the refrigerator for at
least 24 hours and up to 3 months. 5)
To use, place the jar in a kettle of water and slowly bring to a
boil over medium heat. Remove the jar and using tongs, remove the duck
from the fat. Wipe with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Hot
Confit of Duck with Sweet and Sour Cabbage Serves
4 ½
cup golden raisins 2
tablespoons vegetable oil 1
small onion diced 1
clove garlic, minced 1
teaspoon ground cinnamon 2
teaspoons sugar ¾
teaspoon ground ginger ½
teaspoon ground all spice ½
teaspoon ground cloves 1
small head red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced 2
tablespoons cider vinegar Sea
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4
confit duck legs 1)
Combine the raisins and ½ cup of boiling water and set aside to
soak for 10 minutes. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.
Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the
cinnamon, sugar, ginger, allspice and cloves and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the cabbage, raisins (do not drain) and vinegar. 2)
Cook stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has
evaporated. Cover and lower the heat. Continue to cook the cabbage until
it is very tender. You may need to add a little more liquid. The cabbage
should be ready in about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 3)
When ready to serve, preheat the boiler. Place the legs on a
baking sheet, cut side down and broil until the skin is deeply browned
and crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the legs and broil to other side
for 2 minutes. Serve immediately with the cabbage on the side and with
some roasted potatoes. |
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