Duck Confit with Beet Relish on Pita Square

There are so many goodies to be had from a whole duck. Every part is delicious, and not just the breasts and legs. The skin and fat, even the carcass, is precious. Start with a 4.5 lb headless Pekin (not Peking) or Long Island Duck. Separate the legs and wings for the confit. Save the breasts for a fabulous dish of your choice. Skin the rest of the duck. Take all that extra fat and skin, cut it into pieces, and throw it into a pot with 1/2 cup of water.

duck skin

Simmer  for about an hour and you have just rendered duck fat. Strain and save that. You need it for the confit, but toss the remaining skins with some salt and you’ve got delicious duck rinds.

duck rinds 2

Don’t forget to save the carcass for soup or stock, before moving on to the prized confit. It’s so easy. You won’t believe it.

Duck Confit with Sage
~adapted from Tom Colicchio’s Duck Confit

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, halved
  • 6 sage leaves
  • 2 pinches fresh ground pepper
  • 2 duck legs
  • 2 duck wings
  • 2 cups duck fat

Instructions -

1. Use a container with a cover where you can lay the duck legs and wings in one layer. Sprinkle half the salt on the bottom and put 3 pieces of garlic, 3 bay leaves, and some pepper. Lay duck on top in one layer. Sprinkle with remaining salt, garlic, sage, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

salt and sage on duck

2.Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Brush the sage and seasonings off the duck and lay in a single snug layer in a baking dish. Melt duck fat in a saucepan and pour over the duck.

Duck in Duck Fat

3. Let the duck cook at very low simmer (only occasionally bubbles) in the oven for 2 to 3 hours or until meat falls off the bone. Serve or cool and store in duck fat. (You can leave it in the fridge for several weeks.)

Duck Leg Confit Duck Confit

There are so many possibilities for duck confit. Here’s just one. The meat can be shredded effortlessly so I put some on pita (cut into squares).

Duck Confit on Pita Square 2

I topped with some pretty pink Cumin Scented Pickled Beets, cut into teeny squares. Perfect little hors d’oeuvres. Lon didn’t like the beets on it but I did. You can also use a tomato concasse or just some finely shredded scallion.

Duck Confit with Beet Relish on Pita Square 2

posted by jessica at 08:44 AM Filed under French, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.