Who makes the city's best confit de canard?

[carswell]

Having given up its St-Denis Street digs, butcher/caterer Le Prince Noir is now ensconced in Jean-Talon Market's new extension (and at the Marché public de Lachine according to their business card). Besides horse meat, game, charcuterie and various heat-and-serve dishes, they sell duck confit, two legs to a cryovaced pack. The label says the legs retail for $35.90 a kilo but I paid $17.73 for a total weight of 849 g. Not only does that not compute, the legs didn't weigh 425 g (nearly a pound) each. Admittedly, they were large — it's a pretty sure bet we're talking moulards here — but they weren't significantly bigger than, say, Le P'tit Plateau's, which clock in at around 325 g.

Straight from the package, the skin has a yellow tinge and is covered with black dots (pepper, it turns out). Reheating 20 minutes in a 350ºF oven produces no sizzle and only 1/2 teaspoon of fat. More black dots are left in the pan. The skin doesn't crisp or brown, nor does it have a subcutaneous layer of fat. The meat is brownish and there's a lot of it, dense in texture but dry, even stringy in places. Where's the succulence? The meat tastes of duck, not confit. Salty it's not but the skin and surface of the meat taste peppery, the first time I've encountered that flavour in confit. Passable, then, and probably the best confit on offer at the market. But far from the best in the city.

Our side was the lentils with roasted carrots and beets reco'ed by jpbach upthread. "Fantastic" doesn't begin to describe it.

Our wine was Castel Pujol's 2002 Tannat de Reserva ($21.25 at the SAQ) from Uruguay of all places. Leathery, spicy bouquet with a minty note and some wood; the little fruit there is is dark. Medium weight in the mouth, fluid, ripe but not jammy. Quite structured with tight, somewhat drying tannins and a bitter finish. Stylistically more European than New Worldian. Not particularly expressive at present. It will be interesting to see how it evolves. One thing's for sure, though: it works better with confit than any New World wine tasted to date.

Boucherie traiteur Prince Noir

Marché Jean-Talon

7070-C14 Henri-Julien St.

514 906-1110

Edited April 28, 2005 by carswell (log)

[sf&m]

Carswell, Premier Moisson have Confit in jars at the JTM store. On the wall opposite the counters next to jars of Lentils actually. Haven't tried them, so only FYI.

Also, while I am at it I saw duck confit legs at the upstairs store of Nouveau Falero a while ago. The regular scrawny looking Cryovaced kind.

Also Bucherie de Marche (excuse spelling) at JTM has confit legs.

Haven't tasted either so only for your foraging convenience.

[carswell]

Carswell, Premier Moisson have Confit in jars at the JTM store. On the wall opposite the counters next to jars of Lentils actually. Haven't tried them, so only FYI.

←

Thanks for the tip. Will check it out the next time I'm at the market.

Also, while I am at it I saw duck confit legs at the upstairs store of Nouveau Falero a while ago. The regular scrawny looking Cryovaced kind.

Now that sounds appetizing. Maybe they should stick with seafood?

Also Bucherie de Marche (excuse spelling) at JTM has confit legs.

Clickety.