Duck confit
Slow-cooked duck legs in their own fat until meltingly tender, finished crisp for glossy, crackling skin and deep flavour.
Confit is France’s indulgent slow-cook technique: duck legs cured with aromatic herbs, then poached gently in their own fat until meltingly tender. It’s the sort of dish that rewards patience and makes any midweek meal feel like a fête.
Make it for a relaxed dinner when you’ve got time to cure overnight — the hands-on work is short and the results are gloriously hands-off. Finish under a hot grill or in a frying pan for that irresistible crisp skin.
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs — about 180–220 g each
- 25 g sea salt — for the cure
- 5 ml black peppercorns — crushed lightly
- 6 garlic — crushed
- 6 fresh thyme — sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 juniper berries — lightly crushed
- 800 g duck fat — enough to completely submerge the legs
- 15 ml olive oil — for crisping
Equipment
- ovenproof casserole or deep baking dish with lid
- saucepan
- fine sieve
- kitchen thermometer (optional for checking fat temperature)
Instructions
Mix the sea salt, crushed black peppercorns, crushed garlic, fresh thyme (reserve a few sprigs for finishing), bay leaves and crushed juniper berries in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the duck legs, then place legs skin-side up in a single layer in a dish. Cover and refrigerate to cure.
After 12 hours, remove the dish from the fridge. Rinse each leg thoroughly under cold water to remove the cure and pat very dry with kitchen paper.
Preheat the oven to 120°C fan/140°C conventional. Place the legs snugly in an ovenproof casserole or deep baking dish skin-side down. Melt the duck fat gently in a saucepan until fluid and pour over the legs so they are completely submerged. Bring to room temperature.
Cover the dish and transfer to the oven. Cook very gently for 150 minutes, until the meat is tender and can be pulled from the bone with little resistance.
Remove the dish from the oven and leave to cool in the fat at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can then store the legs submerged in fat in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or proceed to crisp and serve.
To serve, remove a leg from the fat, scrape off excess fat and pat the skin dry. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat and crisp the skin for 5–8 minutes, turning once; alternatively, place under a hot grill for 6–8 minutes until skin is glossy and crackling.
Season very lightly with a pinch of sea salt and scatter the reserved fresh thyme before serving. Spoon a little strained warmed duck fat over roasted potatoes if you like.
Tips
- Cure for at least 12 hours — shorter cures give far less flavour and a wetter texture.
- Reserve and strain the cooking fat through a fine sieve; it keeps refrigerated for months and is brilliant for roast potatoes.
- If you plan to store legs in fat, press a circle of baking paper on the surface to exclude air and prevent spoilage.
- Pat the legs completely dry before crisping for best crackle; any moisture causes steaming rather than browning.
- If you don’t have duck fat, use goose fat for a very similar result (slightly different flavour).
Substitutions
duck fat → goose fat, same quantity
Stays closefresh thyme → dried thyme, 1 tsp
Noticeably differentjuniper berries → a strip of orange zest
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 740
- Calories
- 22 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 800 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I skip the cure and cook the legs straight away?
You can, but the cure seasons the meat and removes moisture — skipping it yields a less-flavourful, less-silky texture. Allow at least 12 hours for proper results.
How long will duck confit keep in the fridge?
Stored submerged in the strained fat in a clean jar it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks safely; the fat also freezes well for months.
What’s the best way to crisp the skin without drying the meat?
Pat dry, then sear skin-side down in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil until crackling, 5–8 minutes; finish briefly under a hot grill if needed.
Can I use a slow cooker instead of the oven?
Yes — keep the same low temperature principle and ensure the legs are fully submerged in fat; timing is similar but check tenderness after 2–3 hours.
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