Duck Confit

[phedre]

Inspired by the thread on Montreal's best confit de canard, I headed off to Anjou Quebec yesterday and picked up one of their duck confit legs. I'm lucky enough to live within walking distance. I'd never had it before, and now I'm lamenting a life spent without this amazingly flavourful treat!

Taking a cue from carswell, i also picked up some small potatoes, walnut oil, fresh chives, and parsley, which were duly chopped up, covered in garlic, and oven roasted at 400c for ~40 minutes. They turned out VERY nicely!

But the real star of the evening was the duck. Rich, succulent, and JUST the right amount of saltiness. The skin was crispy and delicious, and the fragrance was indescribable. I can still feel the melty texture of the meat, and taste the delicious flavour in my mouth.

I'll be heading back next weekend to pick up another leg, because well, you can't make a judgement on just ONE tasting after all!

*makes a note to get back to the gym ASAP*

[phedre]

As a side note, the price per leg is now up to $11.99. Ouch!

[wattacetti]

As a side note, the price per leg is now up to $11.99. Ouch!

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Your point being?

So… wasn't that first one good? I'm pretty sure that your inner child is reminding you of that right now, so just suck it up and stop buying so many potatoes. Besides, the confit's also pretty good (and a bit less wintry) on a nice arugula salad.

[phedre]

As a side note, the price per leg is now up to $11.99. Ouch!

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Your point being?

So… wasn't that first one good? I'm pretty sure that your inner child is reminding you of that right now, so just suck it up and stop buying so many potatoes. Besides, the confit's also pretty good (and a bit less wintry) on a nice arugula salad.

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Hah! Oh it's worth every penny! I'm already looking forward to next weekend so i can enjoy another one. And the salad sounds like a great alternative to potatoes :)

[carswell]

Taking a cue from carswell, i also picked up some small potatoes, walnut oil, fresh chives, and parsley, which were duly chopped up, covered in garlic, and oven roasted at 400c for ~40 minutes. They turned out VERY nicely!

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Interesting adaptation. I've never used walnut oil as a roasting medium; will have to give it a try. Now that you have the ingredients on hand (make sure you store the oil in the fridge, btw), you owe it to yourself to give the classic version a shot: Peel, thinly slice, rinse and dry some smallish (tennis ball sized) new potatoes. Heat some walnut oil in a skillet and sauté the potatoes until brown on all sides. Season with a tiny grating of nutmeg. Off the heat and just before serving, shower with a hachis of minced garlic, chives and parsley. Spangle with some sea salt and serve. A variation on that theme is to steam baby new potatoes until just done; let the potatoes cool, then quarter them; sauté in walnut oil until crisp and golden and season as just described.

But the real star of the evening was the duck. Rich, succulent, and JUST the right amount of saltiness. The skin was crispy and delicious, and the fragrance was indescribable. I can still feel the melty texture of the meat, and taste the delicious flavour in my mouth.

Since posting my earlier report, I've learned that, like Le P'tit Plateau and La Girondine, Anjou-Québec uses moulard legs for their cryovaced confit. In other words, the top three confits in the survey are made from moulard ducks. Kinda cinches it, eh?

I'll be heading back next weekend to pick up another leg, because well, you can't make a judgement on just ONE tasting after all!

Don't forget the wine. Not only does it cut the richness and slake your thirst, it counterbalances the ill effects of the fat. Would I kid you?

Edited May 10, 2005 by carswell (log)

[phedre]

Don't forget the wine. Not only does it cut the richness and slake your thirst, it counterbalances the ill effects of the fat. Would I kid you?

Heh. I NEVER forget the wine! I'm actually in Ottawa today, and made my usual raid on the LCBO.

Damn.. it's HOT there. Thankfully my apartment is always quite a bit cooler than outside (i'm in a basement til i move) so the wine should be fine where it is.

Thanks for the tip on the potatoes. I'll give that a try!

[skunkbunny]

This is totally off topic, but does heating the walnut oil make it less flavourful? I'm thinking of how when you heat peanut or sesame oil to fry in it you nix a lot of the flavour.. anyone?

[carswell]

This is totally off topic, but does heating the walnut oil make it less flavourful? I'm thinking of how when you heat peanut or sesame oil to fry in it you nix a lot of the flavour.. anyone?

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Less flavourful? Yeah. But it's a powerfully flavoured oil to begin with. The heat also alters the flavour a little, though it still tastes good and the smell alone is worth the price of admission. In the end, you're best off not cranking up the heat any higher than medium to avoid denaturing the oil more than necessary. Also, there are walnut oils and walnut oils. I usually buy Finesse brand nut oils in metal cans and, before plunking down my hard-earned cash, I check the pull date printed on the bottom.

Edited May 12, 2005 by carswell (log)

[phedre]

Duck Confit, Round two.

Dropped into Anjou Quebec today and picked up two mason jars for tomorrow night's dinner. I'd planned on buying three of the cryovaced legs, but alas, they were all out. So, woe is me, i'm stuck with an extra leg. I do believe that sorts out tonight's dinner plans :)

Now to decide which wine to pair it with. Oh, decisions decisions. It's such a trial

Also picked up some boston and frisse lettuces for a salad; i'll probably toss together a walnut oil dressing. Been debating caramelized walnuts, but as the duck is so heavy, i want a light salad on the side. I know it's not quite wattacetti's arugula suggestion, but eh, i'm a big boston lettuce fan :)

Now, what on earth am i going to do with all that leftover duck fat?

[wattacetti]

Now, what on earth am i going to do with all that leftover duck fat?

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Potatoes. They'll have a wonderful taste.

[carswell]

Second wattacetti's potato rec. Not only do the spuds smell and taste wonderful, they develop a delightful texture. And with the quantity of fat you have, you should consider cooking them Quercy-style, which involves slow-roasting cubed russets in a cup or two of duck fat (which can be recycled afterwards) for the better part of two hours, then turning up the heat for 15 minutes to finish. Drained, sprinkled with salt and showered with an hachis of parsley and garlic, they are the crispest, goldenest, most flavourful spuds it will ever be your pleasure to eat. PM me if you'd like the recipe.

Duck fat is also a fine sautéing medium for vegetables and, especially, seafood. And, of course, you could use the fat to make your own confit of duck, duck gizards, other poultry, pork, veal sweetbreads, etc. The fat will keep for several months in your fridge and even longer in your freezer. You can extend its shelf life by heating it over low heat until the duck juices have simmered off, straining out any impurities (herbs, spices, garlic, pieces of meat) and pouring it into small tightly sealable containers (like plastic cream cheese and crème fraîche tubs).

You'll find a number of wine reccos in my confit survey, though some of them are no longer available. I think reds from southwest France are generally the best fit. Here are a few I know are still around (prices are approximate):

- 2001 Fronsac, Jean-Pierre Moueix ($17.50).

- 2002 Peyrouzelles, Gaillac, Domaine de la Causse Maurine ($17). Not much left but worth going out of your way for.

- 2002 Torus, Madiran, Alain Brumont ($15.50). A Madiran for early drinking (no, that's not a contradiction in terms), it still benefits from being allowed to breathe 30 minutes or so before consuming.

- 2002 Cahors, Château de Grézels ($16) and 1999 Cahors, Château de Mercurès ($22). Both are unpretentious, unParkerized examples of the appellation.

- I love Côtes-du-Frontonnais reds with confit but haven't tried any of the current vintages. Château Montauriol is usually in a class by itself, but 2003 was a difficult vintage due to the heat. Still, given the estate's track record and the wine's reasonable price ($19), it's worth a shot. The 2002 Château Bellevue-la-Fôret is almost certain to be a winner at $14. At the low end, Château Cahuzac's L'Authentique ($11.50) and Montauriol's Les Hauts de Montauriol ($12) are good buys, though they lack some of the stuffing that make their big brothers ideal matches for confit.

[phedre]

I kinda went with both the recommendations :)

Got hungry at around 3:30 and figured i'd have an early dinner (i skipped lunch). Plus I absolutely had to do a dry run before serving everything to my guests tomorrow night. *ahem*.

I ended up using my cast iron skillet as my baking pan, with a plan in mind to use it afterwards for the potatoes. It's ~60 or 70 years old, and was originally my great grandfather's. He was a trapper up in Labrador. Long history, and my favourite cooking implement! Absolutely nothing browns like old cast iron.

The duck bubbled and popped for 20 minutes at 400f, filling my kitchen with wonderful odours. While that was cooking, I made some caramelized walnuts, and a walnut oil dressing (walnut oil, olive oil, raspberry vinegrette, and dijon mustard) to top my salad of boston and frisse lettuce.

I grabbed some small potatoes to try carswell's recipe. After the duck was finished, I drained off all but a coating of the duck fat and added a drizzle of walnut oil to my skillet, then fried the potatoes. Once they were nice and brown, I added the fresh garlic, chives, and parsley, then tossed it all together.

I'll admit the sogginess of the skin was a disappointment after the crispness of the cryovaced version, but the meat itself was absolutely delicious! And so much of it! I picked those bones clean and coulda gone for more!

Paired it all up with a mission hill pinot noir (five vineyards 2003 family reserve) that I snagged in Ontario. I must say, the pairing was.. interesting. While they didn't complement each other perfectly, the wine did a good job of keeping the fat under control. There are some decidedly peppery spicy tones, with a good balance of fruit and acidity. There's a freshness to it that i'm absolutely loving and the mouth-feel is lovely. I'll definitely be picking up a few more bottles of this one when I get a chance.

My breath now reeks of fresh garlic, which to me is the perfect way to be. Thanks so much for the recipe suggestion :) Roasting them, as i did last week, imparts a very different flavour. The walnut is more subdued and bitter than the panfried version. I also added the garlic before cooking, so it was a more mellow flavour. I think I prefer it fresh. It has more bite!

I'll definitely be picking up a few of your wine suggestions after I move. Right now i'm trying to keep my wine collection under control! I drank all my stores over the past fe w months with the expectation of "buying as I need it" til then, but uh.. that went to hell in a handbasket. I now have another collection on hand. Oops.

One thing I WILL be using a bit of the duck fat for is reseasoning my skillet. The potatoes stuck a little, so it needs a curing, and the best thing for that is good ole animal fat. I do want that recipe carswell :) I'll pm you in a bit!

[carswell]

I'll admit the sogginess of the skin was a disappointment after the crispness of the cryovaced version, but the meat itself was absolutely delicious! And so much of it! I picked those bones clean and coulda gone for more!

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Haven't tried this with Anjou-Québec's mason jar confit but Paula Wolfert has suggested running soggy skinned confit under the broiler for a couple of minutes after reheating. Her photos of the end result certainly look convincing.