Duck Confit — Preserved in Fat
Experience the rich, tender succulence of duck confit, a French culinary tradition that transforms simple ingredients into a luxurious delicacy. Crispy skin, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
30 min active, minimal dishes
Duck Confit — Preserved in Fat
Experience the rich, tender succulence of duck confit, a French culinary tradition that transforms simple ingredients into a luxurious delicacy. Crispy skin, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
30 min active, minimal dishes
Key move
Ensure the duck legs are fully submerged in fat during the slow cooking process for even cooking and preservation.
Cook mode keeps your place
Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
The Setup
- Dutch Oven6-quart
- Non-Reactive Dish
- Oven
The Mise en Place
5 of 6Your prep station before cooking begins
The Protein (0/3)
The Aromatics (0/2)
Duck legs are too salty after curing.
Rinse the duck legs more thoroughly under cold water before cooking.
Duck fat is not fully covering the legs during cooking.
Add more rendered duck fat or use a smaller pot to ensure the legs are submerged.
Chef's Notes
For crispier skin, remove confit from fat and broil briefly before serving. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Serve confit duck legs with a simple green salad, roasted root vegetables, or creamy mashed potatoes.
Duck confit can be made days in advance and stored submerged in its fat in the refrigerator. Reheat gently.
The Method
CURE
Prep aheadIn a non-reactive dish, generously coat the duck legs (8 legs) with coarse salt (½ cups), cracked black peppercorns (2 tbsp), crushed garlic (6 cloves), and fresh thyme (8 sprigs) sprigs. Ensure all surfaces are covered.
Uneven curing: Ensure no areas of skin remain bare, or those spots will not cure properly.
Duck legs are coated with salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme.
REFRIGERATE
Prep aheadCover the dish tightly and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to 48 hours, to allow the salt to penetrate the duck legs (8 legs).
Temperature fluctuation: Keep the dish in the coldest part of the refrigerator to ensure food safety.
Duck legs have been refrigerated for at least 24 hours.
RINSE
Remove the duck legs (8 legs) from the refrigerator and rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt. Pat dry with paper towels.
Excess saltiness: Failing to rinse thoroughly will result in an inedibly salty finished dish.
Duck legs are rinsed and patted dry.
PREHEAT
Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C).
Temperature drift: Ovens often cycle higher than the set temperature; verify with an independent thermometer to prevent fat from boiling.
Oven is preheated to 275°F (135°C).
ARRANGE
Time-sensitiveIn a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, arrange the duck legs (8 legs) in a single layer. Pour the rendered duck fat (6 cups) over the legs, ensuring they are fully submerged. Add additional duck fat if needed.
Air exposure: Any part of the duck exposed to air will dry out and potentially spoil during the long cook.
Duck legs are submerged in duck fat in the Dutch oven.
BAKE
Bake in the preheated oven for 6-8 hours, or until the duck meat is extremely tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
Overcooking: If left too long, the meat will shred into the fat rather than remaining in a whole, tender piece.
Duck meat is extremely tender and pulls away from the bone.
COOL
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and let the duck legs (8 legs) cool in the fat. This allows the flavors to meld and the meat to become even more tender.
Fat separation: If the fat remains liquid, the room is too warm; move to a cooler area to ensure proper setting.
Duck legs have cooled in the fat.
REMOVE
Prep aheadCarefully remove the duck legs (8 legs) from the fat. At this point, you can store the legs in the refrigerator, submerged in the fat, for several weeks.
Skin tearing: The skin is delicate after long cooking; lift carefully to keep the leg intact for presentation.
Duck legs are removed from the fat and ready for storage or serving.
PREHEAT
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) or heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
Fat splatter: Rendered duck fat is extremely hot. Use a splatter screen or work carefully to avoid burns.
Oven is preheated to 400°F (200°C) or skillet is hot.
CRISPY
Place the duck legs (8 legs) skin-side up in the oven or skillet and cook until the skin is crispy and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Burning skin: Watch closely as the sugar in the rendered fat can cause the skin to char rapidly.
Duck skin is crispy and golden brown.
SERVE
Serve the duck confit hot, with your favorite accompaniments such as roasted vegetables, potatoes, or a simple salad.
Soggy skin: Avoid plating the duck directly on top of moist vegetables, which will soften the crispy skin.
Duck confit is served hot.
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