Confit de Canard

🧂 Ingredients (for 2 legs)

duck legs

0,5 tbsp coarse salt per leg

2–4 garlic cloves (lightly crushed)

2–4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf (optional)

Black pepper

⏳ Step 1: Cure (12–24 hours)

  1. Rub duck legs thoroughly with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, and bay.

  2. Place in a dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

This step seasons the meat deeply and removes moisture—key to that silky texture.

🔥 Step 2: Rinse & Dry

  • Rinse off the cure under cold water.

  • Pat very dry with paper towels.

🫠 Step 3: Slow Cook (3,5 hours)

  1. Preheat oven to 110°C (very low).

  2. Place duck legs (skin side up) in a small pot or baking dish. The smaller the better

  3. Cook gently until the meat is tender (test to see if a fork pricks in very easily, or if you wiggle the bone if it comes loose). It will start getting softer around 3 hours

🔥 Step 4: Crisp the Skin (the best part)

When ready to eat:

  1. Remove leg from fat, scrape off excess.

  2. Place skin-side down in a cold pan.

  3. Turn heat to medium (5-6) and let fat render slowly. (Don’t rush it—rendering = crispiness). It should take around 15 minutes

  4. Flip and finish meat side for a couple of minutes in pan to warm.

Naomi Hasegawa