(Non-contractual photograph / source: Missvain )
A true tradition in all regions of France, duck Confit nevertheless originated from the Sud-Ouest. It is a cooking technique that has established itself over time. Today, duck Confit is an emblematic dish of the Sud-Ouest.
History of duck Confit
The rearing of poultry is a practice that dates back to ancient Egypt. Force-feeding continued during and after the fall of the Roman Empire in central Europe. As maize or “Turkish wheat” originates from central America, force-feeding with maize arrived late. But the addition of maize and poultry allowed farmers to provision themselves for winter.
Confit entered history when Henry IV, who grew up in the countryside, asked the governor of Béarn to send him a dozen salted geese, “the largest ones that can be found which will do honour to the country”. From peasant tables, goose Confit then passed to the tables of kings. Indeed, in the past, Confit was considered a peasant main course. Today, it is appreciated and considered a main course of great quality. Yet, just as today, the generous and delicious portions, consumed hot or cold, once made the happiness of our ancestors.
How to prepare a duck Confit ?
Confit is prepared with fat birds. These are force-fed, the same ones from which duck magrets and Foie gras are derived. First and foremost, you must select the pieces that will be used for the confit. Generally, a whole duck is not confited; instead, pieces such as legs, wings or duck magrets are preferred. Next, you must proceed with salting, preferably using coarse salt of good quality, such as Sel de Guérande. However, you can also add other spices. It is essential to allow the meat coated in salt to rest in order to create an excellent duck confit. The best French chefs recommend allowing the meat to rest for approximately 24 hours.
Before salting, during cutting, you must keep the pieces of fat to use during cooking. Once the meat is well soaked in salt, it is cleaned and you can finally proceed to cooking. To do this, first put the duck fat in the bottom of the pan. When it is hot, cook the meat, but only on low heat, between 70 and 85 °C. It takes approximately two hours of cooking to enjoy tender meat. Once cooking is finished, you can preserve the duck Confit thanks to jars, in which you place fat before adding the cooked Confit.
How to cook duck Confit ?
A classic recipe based on Confit of duck consists of frying or roasting the meat in a little fat until the skin is golden and crispy, then cooking potatoes seasoned with garlic in the remaining fat. Potatoes prepared this way are called Sarladaise potatoes. You can also serve Confit of duck with red cabbage, cooked over a low heat, with apples and a red wine or sorrel sauce.
