12371 Duck Legs Confit Cooked in a Pouch (for Cassoulet) serves 4 as a main course, or 12 if used in the cassoulet in the style of toulouse (pages 317–319) Wed Aug 06 01:05:20 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 11:43:50 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12371 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:43:50 GMT Traditional duck confit is not only cooked in fat but also preserved for a period of time (see pages 201–203). A true confit has a unique flavor developed as it ages in duck fat. You can make it the traditional way, buy ready-made confit, or use the cooking method described here, called sous vide (under vacuum).

It was in the French Southwest that I first learned about sous vide. The technique was developed by Chef George Pralus in the 1970s. Food is sealed in special boilable plastic pouches, then the pouches are poached in simmering water—a process that intensifies flavor and creates a silky texture, while preserving the natural shape of vegetables, fish, sausages, foie gras, etc. (See recipes for Steamed Salmon With Cooked Egg Sauce, pages 116–117, and Croustade With Apples and Prunes in Armagnac, pages 370–372, for examples.)

Recently, I learned how to use this method to make duck confit for use in cassoulet, where large succulent chunks of boned meat are set between layers of beans to bake for a second long cooking. Sous vide–prepared confit will survive this extra cooking and remain flavorful and moist. Additionally, this is the easiest and least messy way to prepare this essential cassoulet component.

First, you marinate the duck legs, rinse and completely dry them, then seal them in pairs with their attached fat in pouches using a vacuum packer such as a FoodSaver. Then you cook the pouches for many hours in a water bath at 180°F. As soon as the pouches come out of the simmering water, they are chilled down in an ice bath and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.

As opposed to the traditional confit process, you don't need extra duck fat because the tight vacuum pouch presses the melted fat around the meat. Moreover, this slow, low temperature cooking enhances flavor while developing a particularly tender, silky texture. The only down side of sous vide confit as compared to traditional aged confit is the lack of the special husky flavor of the latter.

The duck of choice for sous vide is Moulard with its dense, rich, fleshy, fatty legs. Large lean Muscovy ducks can be substituted, but you'll need to add ½ cup chilled rendered duck fat to each pouch. If Pekin ducks are substituted, you can reduce cooking time by 1 to 2 hours, depending on size.

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  • Season duck legs with salt and a few thyme leaves. Wrap in paper toweling and refrigerate 24 hours.
  • The following day: Rinse off seasonings, blot very dry, and wrap in pairs in boilable pouches, then use a FoodSaver or professional vacuum packing device to seal airtight. Cover one stovetop burner with a Simmer Mat (see Note, page 200) or heat diffuser. Place the sealed pouches in a deep flameproof ceramic or cast-iron casserole and cover with hot water. Be sure the pouches are completely submerged; if necessary, weight them down. Place the casserole over the mat or heat diffuser set over medium-low heat. Cover the casserole and heat to 180°F (use an instant-read thermometer), then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer at a constant 180°F temperature for at least 8 hours for Moulard, 9 for Muscovy, or 5 to 6 hours for Pekin. (If you have an electric oven, alternatively, you can place the pouches in very hot water in a casserole and cook at 180°F overnight. (Because of the constant water temperature, the flesh won't cook beyond its stage of “doneness.”)
  • The duck is ready when the flesh feels very tender, begins to separate from the bone, and the joint between leg and thigh cracks easily. When you remove the pouches from the casserole, immediately set the pouches in a bowl of ice water to chill until completely cold, about 30 minutes. The fat should congeal. Refrigerate until ready to use, within one week (see Note below).
  • When ready to serve: Place the pouches under warm running water until you can easily break the chunks of the fat away from the meat. Open each pouch and separate the fat and jelly-like juices from the flesh. Set the fat aside for some other purpose; use juices for sauces or add to the beans. If using for cassoulet, bone the legs and break the meat into large chunks. Brown the skin to a crisp in a skillet; season the flesh side with pepper. Add the meat chunks and skin to the cassoulet.
  • If you want to serve sous vide duck confit as a main course on the bone with a crispy skin, remove the duck legs from the pouches as directed in Step 4, arrange them skin side up on a rack set over a pan (to catch the melting fat) and brown them in a 400°F oven. Serve with sautéed potatoes, salad, or Pureed Sorrel (page 340).
  • If you're using a home vacuum packing system, such as FoodSaver, rather than a professional chefs' system, it's best to serve the duck within one week. (More sophisticated machines allow chefs to keep refrigerated confit in pouches in the refrigerator for many months.) If, for whatever reason, a refrigerated pouch begins to puff up, discard it at once. Bagged duck legs prepared with a home vacuum packing system can also be frozen for longer storage.
  • Don't be surprised if there is some ballooning during cooking. When the pouches are immersed in ice water they will contract.
  • Due to its unique design, a thin, metal Simmer Mat is superior to a heat diffuser to control cooking at a low temperature on a stovetop (see Mail Order Sources, pages 415–417).
  • Cure the duck: Rinse the duck pieces and dry thoroughly. In a large bowl, toss the duck with the salt, shallots, chopped garlic, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours. Plan carefully because longer brining will cause your confit to be overly salty.
  • Rinse the marinated duck pieces under cold running water to rinse off the salt and seasonings. Drain briefly; it is not necessary to dry completely. Place the rendered duck fat in a large, very heavy pot, such as a stoneware crock or enameled cast-iron casserole, and melt over low heat.
  • Stick a whole clove into each half-head of garlic and add to the melted fat. Slip in the pieces of duck. Cook, uncovered, in the casserole, until the fat reaches 190°F. This should take about 1 hour; faster heating will result in stringy texture. Add additional rendered fat, if necessary, to cover the duck. Continue cooking at 192°F to 210°F, but no higher, adjusting the heat level as necessary, until for another 1 hour, or 2 hours for the Muscovy, until a toothpick pierces the thickest part of a thigh easily. Remove from the heat and let the duck cool in the fat for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, set out three 1-quart earthenware crocks or wide-mouthed glass jars. Pour boiling water into each; swirl and pour out. Thoroughly dry the inside of the containers with a clean towel. Immediately place ½ teaspoon salt in the bottom of each container; this prevents the meat juices (salarque) that may seep from the duck during ripening from turning sour.
  • Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the duck legs to the containers, filling each about three quarters full without crowding.
  • Heat the fat, uncovered, over moderate heat until a few bubbles rise to the surface, skimming off the foam that rises to the top. Let bubble slowly for 5 to 10 minutes, or until any spattering stops and the surface of the fat is clear. Watch very carefully and reduce the heat if necessary to avoid burning or smoking; fat that reaches the smoking point will be ruined for reuse.
  • Carefully ladle the hot clear fat through a fine-mesh strainer directly onto the duck pieces to cover, allowing a generous inch of air space between the surface of the fat and the rim of the container. Do not include the more perishable cloudy fat and meat juices at the bottom of the pot. Rap the containers gently to tamp out any air pockets. Let cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight or set in a cold cellar or other cool storage area to allow the fat to congeal.
  • The next day, seal the confit by spooning a 1-inch layer of melted lard over the surface; since lard is more impenetrable to air than duck fat, this protects against spoilage. (The exact amount of lard needed will vary with the dimensions of your vessels.) Cover with parchment paper secured with a rubber band or with a lid. Store in a 50°F wine or root cellar, or in the refrigerator for at least 1 week or up to 6 months before using. If planning to use the confit within a week, you do not need to seal the confit with lard.
  • Rendered duck fat is sold in many butcher shops throughout the country. You can mail order tubs or small containers from www.D'Artagnan.com, www.preferredmeats.com, or Frenchselections.com. You can also freeze any unused pieces of fresh fat and skin whenever you cook a duck or goose. When you have accumulated several cups' worth, render it according to the directions on page 169. (Fat before rendering will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer; rendered fat will keep for 6 to 8 months in refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer.) Rendered goose fat, available from some butchers, is also an excellent choice.
  • As the Moulard or Pekin ducks cook they will release a lot of fat, which will help cover the pieces of duck. Muscovy duck has less fat and will need extra fat to get to an amount that will cover the duck during the cooking.
  • For sealing the confit, good quality butcher's lard, purchased from a pork butcher or other reliable meat store, is ideal; do not use packaged commercial lard, which is too strong-tasting and will spoil your fat for further cooking. Another alternative is to make your own lard from pork leaf lard (see Rendered Pork Fat, page 295).
  • Instead of cooking the confit on top of the stove, it can be prepared in the oven, but you must use a digital thermometer to check the temperature: Place the duck, skin side down, in a deep baking dish and pour the melted fat over the pieces. Place uncovered in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 275°F. After the temperature of the fat has reached 190°F (1 to 1½ hours, depending on your oven), reduce the setting to 200°F. Cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, to maintain the temperature of the fat at 190°F, until the duck pieces are tender, 1½ to 2 hours, depending on the variety of duck used. Turn off the heat and let the duck legs cool in the fat in the oven for 1 hour.
  • Although confit at this point will not have the excellent flavor of aged confit, it can be used at once in any confit recipe; follow directions on pages 197–198 for browning or steaming and serving.
  • The garlic cooked with the confit can be pressed through a sieve to obtain a small amount of an unusually flavorful spread.
  • The cloudy fat can be used as a flavorful sautéing fat; any juices left in pot after all fat has been removed can be saved and added to soups for flavor. Any debris on bottom of pan after fat and juices have been removed can be turned into rillettes, a delicious spread. Scrape up debris and mix well in a small bowl with an equal amount of confit fat or fresh unsalted butter. Season liberally with pepper; use as a spread on crackers or toast rounds.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 4 Moulard or large Muscovy duck legs, or 6 Pekin or small Muscovy duck legs (about 3 pounds)

    ]]>     ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons per pound

    ]]>     2 sprigs fresh thyme

    ]]>     Freshly ground black pepper

    ]]>     5 pounds duck legs (Moulard, Muscovy, or Pekin) plus the gizzards, necks, and wings, if available

    ]]>     3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons per pound

    ]]>     1½ tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots

    ]]>     1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh garlic plus 1 whole head of garlic, halved crosswise

    ]]>     1½ tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    ]]>     2 teaspoons black peppercorns, lightly crushed

    ]]>     1 imported bay leaf, crumbled

    ]]>     1 sprig of fresh thyme, chopped, or a pinch of dried thyme

    ]]>     6 cups rendered duck or goose fat

    ]]>     2 whole cloves

    ]]>     Butcher's lard (optional, for longer storage)

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