duck confit

[carswell]

Anyone care to suggest a simple bean recipe to serve with it - I can soak them overnight tonight if you're quick on the draw.

It's not exactly beans but, having eaten a helluva lot of duck confit in my life, especially in the last six months, warm lentil salad gets my vote as the ideal leguminous accompaniment. What's more, no soaking is required. Here's the procedure (quoted from the above-linked thread):

But my favourite side is warm lentil salad (adapted from a Patricia Wells recipe): rinse and pick over 500 g of Puy lentils; put in a saucepan with an onion cut in half stuck with 2 cloves, a peeled garlic clove or two, 1 or 2 bay leaves, a branch of thyme or winter savoury and, optionally, a sugar cube; cover with water by 1 inch; bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed and the lentils tender (20-40 minutes); remove the veggies and herbs; dress while warm with a mixture of 1/3 cup top-quality red wine vinegar, three tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.

[offcentre]

Well, it wasn't a total success, but I was fairly happy with it and my guests, who had never eaten confit duck before were very happy I think.

I still couldn't get my hands on fresh duck legs - and the meat wasn't the most flavoursome I have tasted, but it was definitely duck. The skin was crisp, it certainly wasn't too salty and looked the part.

However it could have been more tender - the meat was a little stringy. I presume this was due to cooking time/temperature?

Also, instead of being lovely and clear, at the end of the cooking process the fat in which the duck was cooked was cloudy. Any idea as to why?

I cooked the canelli beans in the way suggested by fifi/russ (and served as per hathor's suggestion - very tasty and simple) and it worked very well, although they were cooked on the stove. But boiled with a bit of black forest ham, garlic and onion, they tasted lovely and took just about 1.5 hours.

Thanks for the advice all.

[paul o' vendange]

However it could have been more tender - the meat was a little stringy. I presume this was due to cooking time/temperature?

Also, instead of being lovely and clear, at the end of the cooking process the fat in which the duck was cooked was cloudy. Any idea as to why?

In my experience, in terms of toughness, the key is temp. I confit tougher cuts all the time - lamb shoulder, muscovy leg, etc. I add a bit of water to the fat and keep it to a near poach temp, just a very, very mild simmer (bubble rising occasionally). If you had a more violent simmer or boil, this would explain the cloudiness, much like when making stocks.

Edited August 4, 2004 by paul o' vendange (log)

[carswell]

I still couldn't get my hands on fresh duck legs - and the meat wasn't the most flavoursome I have tasted, but it was definitely duck. The skin was crisp, it certainly wasn't too salty and looked the part.

However it could have been more tender - the meat was a little stringy. I presume this was due to cooking time/temperature?

In The Cooking of Southwest France, Paula Wolfert attributes stringiness to rapid heating and suggests placing the meat in the fat as soon as it has liquified. Then slowly heat the fat to 190ºF, a process that should take about an hour. Hold the temperature at 190º for an hour to an hour and a half (duck legs take the full 90 minutes), then allow the meat to cool in the fat. Works beautifully for me. Ms. Wolfert's excellent book is currently out of print but a new edition is slated for release in 2005.

Although it's more a flavour issue than a stringiness one, I'm surprised that no one has discussed the species of duck used. One of Quebec's better confit makers, a transplant from southwest France, insists that moulards (aka mulards; they're a muscovy-pekin cross and the most popular species for foie gras production) are best, although muscovies are a workable subsitute. She shuns pekin ducks as inferior for confit. My recent survey of local purveyors tends to support her claim: the best confit legs were moulards; most of the second string were muscovies; none of the pekin legs rated highly.

Also, instead of being lovely and clear, at the end of the cooking process the fat in which the duck was cooked was cloudy. Any idea as to why?

Did you recycle the fat from your first confit attempt? If so, did you skim and strain the fat well? Did you add any new fat? How hot did the fat get?

Edited August 4, 2004 by carswell (log)

[ardri]

re : salmon confit try it for an hour at 40 c

[Jon Tseng]

However it could have been more tender - the meat was a little stringy. I presume this was due to cooking time/temperature?

used to end up a bit overcooked at times when doing it in a saucepan over hob

nowadays I do in a big roasting tin in a low oven - much more gradual heat helps vs. stringiness

J

[offcentre]

Did you recycle the fat from your first confit attempt? If so, did you skim and strain the fat well? Did you add any new fat? How hot did the fat get?

Oh bloody hell! :)

No I didn't skim and strain the fat or add any new fat.

As for how hot - my oven is really bad - I would buy a new one but I'm moving house soon. I mean really bad. It was set to 150 degrees as anything below that and the oven just doesn't heat up at all.

So skimming and straining - I should do this with any fat in the fridge every few months as suggested earlier in this thread I believe. Why do you ask if I added any new fat?

As you can probably tell - I'm new to the world of confiting

[paul o' vendange]

I still couldn't get my hands on fresh duck legs - and the meat wasn't the most flavoursome I have tasted, but it was definitely duck. The skin was crisp, it certainly wasn't too salty and looked the part.

However it could have been more tender - the meat was a little stringy. I presume this was due to cooking time/temperature?

In The Cooking of Southwest France, Paula Wolfert attributes stringiness to rapid heating and suggests placing the meat in the fat as soon as it has liquified. Then slowly heat the fat to 190ºF, a process that should take about an hour. Hold the temperature at 190º for an hour to an hour and a half (duck legs take the full 90 minutes), then allow the meat to cool in the fat. Works beautifully for me. Ms. Wolfert's excellent book is currently out of print but a new edition is slated for release in 2005.

Although it's more a flavour issue than a stringiness one, I'm surprised that no one has discussed the species of duck used. One of Quebec's better confit makers, a transplant from southwest France, insists that moulards (aka mulards; they're a muscovy-pekin cross and the most popular species for foie gras production) are best, although muscovies are a workable subsitute. She shuns pekin ducks as inferior for confit. My recent survey of local purveyors tends to support her claim: the best confit legs were moulards; most of the second string were muscovies; none of the pekin legs rated highly.

Also, instead of being lovely and clear, at the end of the cooking process the fat in which the duck was cooked was cloudy. Any idea as to why?

Did you recycle the fat from your first confit attempt? If so, did you skim and strain the fat well? Did you add any new fat? How hot did the fat get?

In my restaurant we use 100% moulard (magret, confit, prosciutto, rillettes, etc.). Agree for the most part re: pekin, but I would argue that, in the States at least, might this not be as much a function of breeding practice as breed ... i.e., here, Pekin is the breed used in mass production (e.g., Maple Leaf Farms) and its flavor doesn't always rise to the occasion. I do know of one breeder of Pekins in Minnesota (Wild Acres) whose family has worked hard to raise an excellent stock, and his ducks feed on good material; the flavor is extraordinary, rivalling muscovy and moulard. The only reason I didn't go with him for part of our need (incl. confit) is logistics - wanted magrets for searing/entree and prosciutto, his legs for braises and confit, but as we use the whole animal for stock/integral sauce, I was left with excess of his Pekin breasts. Just an example, but I would be spending my time looking for local producers, whatever the breed, if possible.

Nice method from Paula Wolfert, I will look forward to the release of her reprint, thanks for the heads up.

Paul

[carswell]

As for how hot - my oven is really bad - I would buy a new one but I'm moving house soon. I mean really bad. It was set to 150 degrees as anything below that and the oven just doesn't heat up at all.

Bingo. That may explain both the stringiness and the cloudiness. In an endnote to her stovetop recipe, Paula Wolfert says to put the duck (skin side down) and the melted fat in a deep baking dish, put the dish in the oven, turn on the oven to 275ºF (135ºC) and wait until the fat reaches 190ºF (88ºC), which usually takes from 60 to 90 minutes. Then turn the thermostat down to 200ºF (95ºC), adjusting it as necessary to maintain the fat at 190ºF.

Overheated fat "boils" the duck instead of "poaching" it. And, although I can't cite the specific temperature and time frame at which it occurs, overheating denatures the fat, changing its appearance and taste and robbing it of some of its healthful qualities.

So skimming and straining - I should do this with any fat in the fridge every few months as suggested earlier in this thread I believe. Why do you ask if I added any new fat?

After you've removed the duck, transfer the fat to a deep, heavy pot. Heat the pot over a medium-high flame until it is almost boiling. Adjust the heat to prevent the fat from boiling and reaching the smoking point (if it does, it's ruined). Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. Continue until the sputtering stops (i.e. all the water has evaporated), 5-10 minutes. When you're ready to transfer the fat to another container, ladle it through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids. If you proceed thus, you shouldn't need to strain the fat again before reuse. However, I'd suggest freezing any fat you don't plan to use in a few weeks; it'll keep indefinitely in the freezer whereas it sometimes develops mold in the fridge.

Why do you ask if I added any new fat?

Several authorities, including PW, recommend freshening the old fat before reuse.

Edited August 6, 2004 by carswell (log)

[offcentre]

Carswell - and all of you - I thank you very much indeed for all the information.