Confit Duck Legs …in 5 simple steps (Season, Simmer Slow in Fat, Cool. Sear. Plate.)

Purchase skin-on bone-in duck legs. A Whole Foods market will have them frozen. Frozen is totally fine. I freeze all of the Muscovy Duck legs I harvest. A good butcher should be able to get them for you also. 

Day 1: 

Defrost the duck legs in the morning

9pm: Season the legs on both sides with kosher salt. Place a smashed clove of garlic on the meat side of each leg. Optionally you can place a sprig of thyme, a slice of onion, and large cracked blacked peppercorns on the meat side.  Pack the legs into a container and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2:

8 or 9am: Remove the garlic cloves and any optional aromatics from the legs.

Place the legs in a heavy bottom stainless steel or cast iron pot.

Completely cover the legs with duck fat. If you don’t have enough duck fat you can substitute beef fat or some clarified butter.  

Bring the legs to the beginning of a boil in the fat. 

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. You don’t want to poach them. There should be movement in the fat. 

Simmer for approximately 3 hours, depending on the size of the legs. 

When you can slide a paring knife through a leg smoothly with gentle pressure; and remove the knife with the same effort, they can be cooled. 

Cool the legs in the fat. After they are completely cooled you can store them submerged in the fat for 10 days. 

If you plan to use them the same day, allow the legs to cool in the fat at room temperature until you are ready to sear them.

6pm (dinner time)

Remove the legs you plan to serve to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Let the fat drip off the legs into the pot as you transfer them. We want to save all of that fat. 

Heat a cast iron skillet until it begins to haze. 

Place the legs in the hot skillet skin side down.

Sear the legs on high heat for 3-5 minutes then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to sear the legs until the skin is a rich brown and very crispy. The fat that was on the legs should be enough to lubricate the pan. Feel free to add slightly more fat if the pat seems too dry. However, you don’t want to deep fry them. 

Once the legs are brown and crispy on the skin side, turn off the heat and flip them over. Allow them to rest meat-side down as you assemble your plate. The legs are cooked. Searing them gets them hot and makes the skin crispy. 

Plate the legs. 

I think fall and winter flavors are great with confit legs. Also, adding pan-roasted duck breast makes for a nice Duo of Duck. Mashed potatoes, Butternut Squash, Kale or cabbage braised with bacon and caraway. These are some of the things I like with confit duck. A little apple or plum puree can add a nice sweet and sour to contrast the rich flavors on the plate. 

The leftover fat:

Bring the fat in the pot up to a simmer. Simmer gently until golden and clarified. You should be able to easily see the bottom of the pot. You are cooking off any liquid/juices in the fat. After the fat has been clarified, store in mason jars under refrigeration for 6-8 months. I can get 3-4 batches of confit legs out of my rendered fat before it starts to have a salinity to it that may cause another batch to be salty. 

*** Pouring simmering fat into glass jars can cause them to break. Either heat the jars or cool the fat a bit. Cool the fat to room temperature before moving to refrigeration. 

***Alternatively, you can cryovac your fat after it is clarified and cooled for long term storage. Maybe you don’t plan to make confit legs for a year.