How to make duck confit sous vide

How to make duck confit sous vide

How to make duck confit sous vide

8 December 2014

How to make duck confit sous vide

In culinary terms, to confit means to salt cure the meat to draw out moisture, before cooking it in its own fat. This differs from deep fat frying, in that the fat is kept at a low temperature and the meat is cooked for several hours. Once the meat is tender and moist, it is then covered in the fat and stored in a cool place. The fat acts as a barrier to bacterial growth, which ensures the meat can be preserved for several months. This practice has continued long after the introduction of refrigeration because the results are irresistibly delicious, producing succulent and rich, salty meat.

Vacuum packing the meat during the salt cure stage speeds up the process as it pushes the salt and aromatics deeper into the meat. A benefit of cooking the duck in a water bath is that the quantity of duck fat required is greatly reduced. Using the traditional method, you need to use enough fat to submerge the meat fully whereas a single tablespoon of fat per leg is all that is required with the sous vide method. Using less fat is healthier and more economical, but yields just as tasty results.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 25g of salt
  • 2 sprigs of thyme, picked
  • 4 duck legs
  • 100ml of duck fat, melted (or vegetable oil)
1
Mix the salt and thyme leaves together and rub into the duck legs
2
Place the legs in a vacuum bag, seal and refrigerate for 6 hours
3
Fill the water bath with cold, clean water and set the temperature to 75°C
4
Remove the duck legs from the bag and rinse them under cold water to remove the salt. Pat the legs dry with kitchen roll. Place the duck legs in a new vacuum bag with the duck fat and vacuum seal
5
Cook in the water bath at 75°C for 12 hours
6
Use immediately by crisping the skin of the legs in a hot pan before serving, or plunge the bag into iced water to cool quickly before refrigerating for later use

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.