Duck leg confit

[sharonb]

I love duck leg confit. I have never made my own, though, and the one time I bought one from my butcher, it wasn't as good as some I've had from high-end commercial canned or jarred types.

But it's been a long time since I had a really delicious, well-seasoned, satisfying example of a store-bought, canned or jarred duck leg confit.

What is your favorite confit? And how is its pricing?

I assume small producer-type products can also be found in certain Paris shops, so do include, if that's the case for your favorite.

Thanks!

[John Talbott]

I love duck leg confit. I have never made my own, though, and the one time I bought one from my butcher, it wasn't as good as some I've had from high-end commercial canned or jarred types.

But it's been a long time since I had a really delicious, well-seasoned, satisfying example of a store-bought, canned or jarred duck leg confit.

What is your favorite confit? And how is its pricing?

I assume small producer-type products can also be found in certain Paris shops, so do include, if that's the case for your favorite.

Thanks!

←

I did a cassolet Wednesday and used the confit sold at Galeries Lafayette (not sure of the brand, I threw the packaging away) and it was fine. The confit from one of my local butchers was not as good.

[grimod]

as easy as it is to make confit, which always is infinitly better than pre made, why do you not make your own?

Nothing gets me happier than the smell of confit wafting thru the house or where I work... and nothing gets me happier than to crack a good bottle of pinot in some form and crisp up some legs of confit with potatoes and garlic... I think I will have that for lunch today...

[Ptipois]

I did a cassolet Wednesday and used the confit sold at Galeries Lafayette (not sure of the brand, I threw the packaging away) and it was fine.  The confit from one of my local butchers was not as good.

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Canned confit is generally better than the ones you buy from butchers. It is a preserve, so it improves with age, and you get a chance to have true mulard parts instead of leftover muscovy legs drowned in fat with the bones sticking out as you buy them. Not to mention that cans and jars contain confit jelly, which you do not get with butcher-bought legs.

Most Southwestern brands are good. I like Spanghero and Delpeyrat.

Edited June 11, 2007 by Ptipois (log)

[John Talbott]

I did a cassolet Wednesday and used the confit sold at Galeries Lafayette (not sure of the brand, I threw the packaging away) and it was fine.  The confit from one of my local butchers was not as good.

←

Canned confit is generally better than the ones you buy from butchers. It is a preserve, so it improves with age, and you get a chance to have true mulard parts instead of leftover muscovy legs drowned in fat with the bones sticking out as you buy them. Not to mention that cans and jars contain confit jelly, which you do not get with butcher-bought legs.

Most Southwestern brands are good. I like Spanghero and Delpeyrat.

←

Sorry if I was not clear; the confit I like is not canned but vacuum packed and found way in the back of GL. The canned stuff I used to buy at the Produits de l'Auvergne was OK but not as good as the vacuum-packed ones to which I add the sausages, Tarbais beans, tomatoes, garlic, etc.

[Vinotas]

I did a cassolet Wednesday and used the confit sold at Galeries Lafayette (not sure of the brand, I threw the packaging away) and it was fine.  The confit from one of my local butchers was not as good.

←

Canned confit is generally better than the ones you buy from butchers. It is a preserve, so it improves with age, and you get a chance to have true mulard parts instead of leftover muscovy legs drowned in fat with the bones sticking out as you buy them. Not to mention that cans and jars contain confit jelly, which you do not get with butcher-bought legs.

Most Southwestern brands are good. I like Spanghero and Delpeyrat.

←

Sorry if I was not clear; the confit I like is not canned but vacuum packed and found way in the back of GL. The canned stuff I used to buy at the Produits de l'Auvergne was OK but not as good as the vacuum-packed ones to which I add the sausages, Tarbais beans, tomatoes, garlic, etc.

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I am curious, how do you cook the canned/jarred duck confit? I've always seen them in the stores but never taken the leap. Since I am renting an apartment in Paris in early July I figure I might give it a try.

And grab a good bottle of red Burgundy of course!

Cheers!

[John DePaula]

I did a cassolet Wednesday and used the confit sold at Galeries Lafayette (not sure of the brand, I threw the packaging away) and it was fine.  The confit from one of my local butchers was not as good.

←

Canned confit is generally better than the ones you buy from butchers. It is a preserve, so it improves with age, and you get a chance to have true mulard parts instead of leftover muscovy legs drowned in fat with the bones sticking out as you buy them. Not to mention that cans and jars contain confit jelly, which you do not get with butcher-bought legs.

Most Southwestern brands are good. I like Spanghero and Delpeyrat.

←

Sorry if I was not clear; the confit I like is not canned but vacuum packed and found way in the back of GL. The canned stuff I used to buy at the Produits de l'Auvergne was OK but not as good as the vacuum-packed ones to which I add the sausages, Tarbais beans, tomatoes, garlic, etc.

←

I am curious, how do you cook the canned/jarred duck confit? I've always seen them in the stores but never taken the leap. Since I am renting an apartment in Paris in early July I figure I might give it a try.

And grab a good bottle of red Burgundy of course!

Cheers!

←

It's basically already cooked. You just have to remove most of the fat and crisp it in the oven, or as John Talbott said, you can cook it up in a cassoulet. And by all means, save that fat and make some Pommes Sarladaise! Mmmmm.

[Vinotas]

It's basically already cooked.  You just have to remove most of the fat and crisp it in the oven, or as John Talbott said, you can cook it up in a cassoulet.  And by all means, save that fat and make some Pommes Sarladaise! Mmmmm.

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Ooooh... Drooooooool...

Thanks for the info!

Cheers!

[grimod]

wrong season for pommes sardalaise... gotta wait till next December...

[sharonb]

It's always pommes sarladaises season!

As for me, I always cook duck confit in a skillet. Get as much of the fat off of them as you can, put them skin-side down in a skillet on very very low heat, cover.

Five minutes later, take off the cover and pour off all the fat, making sure the confits don't fall out into the sink or jar or garbage or wherever you're pouring the fat.

Return to stove, low heat, covered.

After about 20 or 25 minutes, the skin will be crisp, the rest will be heated through, and you just need a spatula to turn them out right-side up onto dishes.

I never put the meat side on the heat; it dries it out.

Edited June 11, 2007 by sharonb (log)

[Dave Hatfield]

I must confess that I buy the cheapest cans of comfit that I can in the supermarket. Aldi's is pretty good & you can't beat the price. Every so often though the other guys have it on sale, somewhere around 6 Euros for a 4-5 cuisse can. Pas mal as they say.

Although when we lived in the states I made our own goose comfit it was never quite as good as the canned variety.

Like sharonb I always do mine in a frying pan unless its going in a cassoulete. Her method is ideal IMHO.

Brands? Who knows. I personally think that there's a huge pot of duck fat located somewhere between Toulouse & Cahors where they all take their duck legs for cooking. They can it & stick different labels on just to confuse we non-natives.

[John Talbott]

As for me, I always cook duck confit in a skillet. Get as much of the fat off of them as you can, put them skin-side down in a skillet on very very low heat, cover.

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[Ptipois]

Brands? Who knows. I personally think that there's a huge pot of duck fat located somewhere between Toulouse & Cahors where they all take their duck legs for cooking. They can it & stick different labels on just to confuse we non-natives.

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I have pretty much come to the same conclusion.

Edited June 11, 2007 by Ptipois (log)

[Vinotas]

Brands? Who knows. I personally think that there's a huge pot of duck fat located somewhere between Toulouse & Cahors where they all take their duck legs for cooking. They can it & stick different labels on just to confuse we non-natives.

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LOL!!!!

[sharonb]

Brilliant answer, Dave! But actually, I think taste and quality vary a lot... I guess I'm also looking for the best QPR, because you can always just throw money at the question and purchase super-high-end things; the craftiness is in finding, well, a find...

Grimod, do you have a recipe or some tips for making my own?

[mukki]

I've wondered about this topic when I'm in France -- I'm never sure what to look for and I've accumulated several jars and cans that are in my pantry unopened. I have 2 cans (one labeled Jean Jardel) from the market in Sarlat and a jar (J. Barthouil) bought from a butchershop in Paris. I really need to open them soon and try them!

[Dave Hatfield]

Brilliant answer, Dave! But actually, I think taste and quality vary a lot... I guess I'm also looking for the best QPR, because you can always just throw money at the question and purchase super-high-end things; the craftiness is in finding, well, a find...

Grimod, do you have a recipe or some tips for making my own?

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For QPR the hypermarket brands are hard to beat. I don't see many French housewives buying the expensive cans at the markets.

I'll happily share my comfit making recipe; here goes:

-Choose really nice fat moulard cuisses from your butcher or better yet a 'bird" specialist or the supermarket.

- Somehow buy, beg, borrow or steal a good quantity of duck fat that is pure and NOT burned nor has been overheated. (dare I say that failing other methods the fat from the cans is excellent?)

- Marinate your cuisses in a combination of: fresh thyme, crushed & shredded bay leaves, well crushed juniper berries & Salt & pepper to taste. They should at least marinate overnight in the fridge, a bit longer won't hurt, but no more than 24 hours.

- Place all of the cuisses in an ovenproof container. (doesn't matter much what it is so long as it will take the stove top & the oven & will allow you to cover the cuisses in duck fat).

-Pre-heat your oven to about 140-160 degree C. On the stove top heat the pan until you just start to get bubbles in the fat. Transfer the pan to the oven & let everything cook until the meat is very soft & tender. Normally this will take a couple of hours plus or minus.

- While the cooking is going on sterilize some glass jars that have good tight lids. The jars should be large enough that a cuisse will lay flat on the bottom.

- Once you judge that your comfit is cooked take it out of the oven & let it cool to a point where you can handle it. Then pack it into your jars with the cuisses packing them tightly, but not pressing too hard. Cover them completely with duck fat from the cooking pan. let cool further then seal.

- Store in the traditional cool, dry place for at least a few weeks before eating.

That's it. Enjoy. Other methods & variations welcome.

John, how's that for a 'cooking' thread?

[Ptipois]

Sorry if I was not clear; the confit I like is not canned but vacuum packed and found way in the back of GL.  The canned stuff I used to buy at the Produits de l'Auvergne was OK but not as good as the vacuum-packed ones to which I add the sausages, Tarbais beans, tomatoes, garlic, etc.

←

I don't think there is a lot of difference regarding the taste and quality. As long as the confit is made of good mulard duck, pre-salted and peppered, then slow-cooked in duck fat the right way, I never thought sous-vide was better or worse than canned. Duck confit is a preserve anyway. Canned has two advantages: you get more confit jelly, and you can age the confit at room temperature. Sous-vide has to be refrigerated.

The difference I found was with butcher-bought confit de Paris, which is really nothing to write home about. I suspect it is only duck legs (not even mulard) recycled before they get blue.

[Abra]

I vote for making it yourself, and since you're removing fat from bought confit, save that for when you make a batch. I don't can mine but I do leave it in the fridge for a long time and the flavor really does improve - I still have some from last November that I'll be using up soon. A good way to de-fat it before crisping the skin is to steam the leg for a few minutes to remove the fat (thanks, Paula Wolfert!)

I love to use the jelly in a vegetable saute. What other great jelly uses are there?