DUCK CONFIT

Ingredients:

6 whole duck legs

24 hour Marinade:

1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

(mixed with 3/4 teaspoon Quatre Epice optional)

Coarsely ground black peppercorns

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves striped from the stem

4 coarsely crushed bay leaf

Simmering:

1 pint rendered duck fat

1 pint lard (or duck fat)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

2 whole cloves

10 black peppercorns

Water

Directions:

Marinade:

Lightly cover the duck legs with the mixture of salt, pepper, herbs and optional spices.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.  Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking.

Simmering:

Render the duck fat or heat the mixture of fats in a heavy pot with 1/2 cup water and the seasonings for 20 minutes.  Strain out the seasonings.

Wipe all the salt off the duck legs and brown them in some of the seasoned fat.  Place them in the pot of melted fat and simmer slowly for 3 hours adding 1/3 cup water every hour.  At the end of this time the meat should be fully cooked and quite tender.

Then duck legs can be drained and served immediately or cooled and stored in fat to cover for several weeks.  Unused fat is strained and refrigerated to be used again.

Serving:  Duck confit may be served with browned potatoes and and salad.