Duck Confit
6 servings
Herb salt Ingredients:
100g kosher salt
25g light brown sugar
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
25g chopped thyme
50g flat-leaf parsley leaves
5g black peppercorns
6 whole Peking Duck legs
1.5kg rendered duck fat, melted
Preparation:
Start by mixing the salt, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and peppercorns until well combined.
Take the duck legs and remove as much excess fat as you can. With the help of scissors, remove the excess skin near the bottom of the legs and around the edges, leaving around an ¼ inch overhang of skin.
Rub the herb salt over each leg, rubbing a little more on the thicker parts and around the joint. Put the legs skin side up in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 90oC.
Rinse the legs well under cold water and dry them thoroughly using paper towels or clean cloths. Use a 25cm heavy ovenproof pot with lid to put the duck legs in it. Cover the legs with rendered duck fat and heat it over medium heat until is warm. Cover the pot, put it in the oven and cook for 4 hours. When cooked, remove the legs from the fat and let cool.
Serving:
Preheat the oven in 175oC. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Pour duck fat in a frying pan. Heat the pan over high heat and saute the duck skin-side down. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the skin is richly browned, this is going to take about 3 minutes.
With gentle moves, transfer the legs, skin-side up, to the cooling rack and put in the oven to heat through for 10 minutes. Serve, eat and of course, Enjoy!
