Duck confit

Duck confit (confit de canard ) is a French dish made with whole duck. In Gascony, according to the families perpetuating the tradition of duck confit, all the pieces of duck are used to produce the dish. Each part can have a specific destination in traditional cooking, the neck being used for example in an invigorating soup, the garbure. Duck confit is considered one of the finest French dishes. Duck confit is also a traditional ingredient in many versions of cassoulet.

Traditional preparation
While it is made across France, it is seen as a specialty of Gascony. The confit is prepared in a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing a piece of meat (generally goose, duck, or pork) and then cooking it in its own fat.

The meat is rubbed with salt (which acts as a preservative), garlic, and sometimes herbs such as thyme, covered, and refrigerated for up to 36 hours, then cooked in an oven at a low temperature. The meat is slowly poached at least until cooked, or until meltingly tender, generally four to ten hours.

The cooked meat can be transferred to a container and completely submerged in the fat. Skipping the salt curing stage greatly reduces the shelf life of the confit.

Confit is also sold in cans, which can be kept for several years. The flavourful fat from the confit may also be used in many other ways, as a frying medium for sautéed vegetables (e.g., green beans and garlic, wild or cultivated mushrooms), savory toasts, scrambled eggs or omelettes, and as an addition to shortcrust pastry for tarts and quiches.

A classic recipe is to fry or grill the legs in a bit of the fat until they are well-browned and crisp, and use more of the fat to roast some potatoes and garlic as an accompaniment. The potatoes roasted in duck fat to accompany the crisped-up confit are called pommes de terre à la sarladaise.