RESD Event - Duck Confit for the main course by Madelein Cloete

As you all know by now this past weekend we had our RESD event at the prestigious Château de Nates. It was truly a night to remember! I thought it only fit to share one of the excellent recipes we served up, Duck Confit. Strange to many but delicious to thousands, we tend to forget that a 100 years ago duck was a regular and a staple in the Afrikaans home on Sundays. I don’t know why duck fell out of fashion (and has become the symbol of Chinese take away) as it is such a healthy and delicate choice of poultry. Here is a true Parisian favourite and a delicacy on note. Madelein Cloete from The Professional Cooking Academy prepared this for the main course.

Duck Confit

You’ll Need:

• 4 duck leg portions with thighs attached
• 20 ml fine salt
• 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• 10 garlic cloves
• 4 bay leaves
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 7.5 ml whole black peppercorns
• 5 ml fine salt
• 4 cups melted duck fat / olive oil (healthier option)

Method:

Lay the leg portions on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with 15 ml of the salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme on each of 2 leg portions. Lay the remaining 2 leg portions, flesh to flesh, on top. Put the reserved fat from the ducks in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Top with the sandwiched leg portions. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 110 ̊C.

Remove the duck from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat and reserve. Rinse the duck with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat the duck leg dry with a paper towel.

Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and duck fat in the bottom of a roasting tray. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the duck on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 6 to 10 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.

Remove the duck from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat, making a 1/4-inch layer. The duck Confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

The excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used like butter for cooking. The tinge of duck taste in the oil is wonderful and I use the oil to roast potatoes, cook green beans, and pan-fry steak.

 I know what you’re thinking…… this will take forever to make! But style and taste come at a cost and dishes like these are fit for royalty! It is well worth the time and effort.

You can order an entire range of Duck products (Fresh Meat, Duck Eggs, Duck Fat, Duck Livers and loads more) from Elsa, at E-Duck Farms. Contact Elsa on 0820450482

For more of my recipes, follow my SWEETMAFIA-SA Blog by just logging onto my website www.sweetmafia-sa.com