Yield: Yields 8 duck legs.
Prepare the duck confit at least one week before serving—the flavor and texture improve as it sits.
Sprinkle half the salt in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Lay out the sprigs of rosemary, the bay leaves, and half the garlic slices in 8 piles, put a duck leg on top of each, then press the thyme and remaining garlic on top of the duck. Sprinkle the duck with the rest of the salt and then spread it with your hands so that all sides are coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Put the duck fat in a heavy Dutch oven that’s large enough to hold all the legs (they can be stacked) and heat over low heat until melted. Scrape all of the seasonings from the duck, wiping away any moisture with paper towels. Slip the duck legs into the fat and completely submerge them. Cover the pot and adjust the heat so that the fat stays just about 200°F; do not let it go over 210°F. (Be sure to check the temperature every 20 to 30 minutes to make sure it’s not going too high.)
Cook until the legs are completely tender when pierced by a knife, 2-1/2 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the legs. Let them cool in the fat; when cool enough to handle, remove with tongs, taking care not to rip the skin, which will be delicate.
Arrange the legs in a crock, baking dish, or large sturdy plastic container (they can be stacked). Pour the fat through a fine strainer over the legs to cover them completely. Cover the dish tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 week before using (you can use the legs sooner, but the texture and flavor are best after this curing period). You can store the confit for up to 8 weeks.
To use, gently pry out the number of legs you need, scrape off the excess fat, and press the fat back over the remaining legs.
I'm surprised by how many of the other ratings were placed by people who hadn't followed the recipe!I've made this twice now and have had excellent results. The meat is meltingly tender and rich with faint overtones of garlic and herbs. To be fair, I did check the temperature frequently and checked the legs for tenderness every 20 min or so after the first two hours; and, yes, it is a bit tedious, but then no one ever said duck confit was quick and easy. That's the reason it's rare and precious. It isn't difficult, but it is time consuming: one of those dishes to make in bulk on a lazy, rainy, fall day.I may try finishing it in the oven one day but will remember to allow extra time for all the meat to reach 200* and for the oven to return to temp after checking the legs for tenderness.
I haven't tried this recipe but I can tell it would be good so am giving it 4 stars. I wanted to say that I use my electric slow cooker for confit garlic which seems a similar procedure, and it works very well. Even the slow cooker can get a little hotter than I want after several hours, so i use a removable wall timer (the kind that turns lights on and off when you are away from home) which I set for 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for the remainder of the cooking time. This ensures that the cooker doesn't get too hot.
Use a crock pot to cook the confit, it works perfectly! No need to even bother with constant checking, it never gets too hot. Cook for about 6-8 hours, a little more better than a little less. I order the raw fat and render it myself cheaper and rendering fat is easy. Liberty Ducks has both raw duck fat and bags of duck legs for sale on their website. They are in Sonoma,ca, I don't know how widely they deliver.
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