Authentic French Duck Confit Recipe (Confit de Canard)
The process for making French Duck Confit is simple, and requires only 4 ingredients! Use the best quality duck legs that you can find. Duck fat can be found at specialty grocers. It preserves well, so you can confit a large batch, and cook later on as needed!
How to Make French Duck Confit
Here is the recipe for traditional Confit de Canard the way the French make it.
This French duck confit recipe serves 6 people.
Ingredients
6 duck legs
4 cloves of garlic
Sprig of thyme
4 cups of duck fat (available at specialty groceries)
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 320F.
- Season duck legs with salt and pepper. Place in a deep pan, with the duck legs on their side (arranged so that the sides with meat are touching each other). Cover with the warmed duck fat and add thyme and garlic.
- Place a smaller sized lid on top of the duck legs (to keep them submerged in the duck fat), and place in the oven. Let cook for 2 hours total, removing at 1 hour to turn over the duck legs.
- Remove from the oven (taking care not to burn yourself with the duck fat), and rearrange the duck legs and completely submerge in the duck fat. Let chill until the duck fat solidifies.
- Remove the duck legs from the solid duck fat, place in a baking pan and bake at 300F until the skin crisps up, about 15 minutes.