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DUCK LEG CONFIT
2 pair duck legs
2 bay leaves
2" sprig of fresh thyme
6 black peppercorns
2 tbsp crush garlic (optional)
2 c duck fat
Salt and pepper
Grind together salt, pepper, bay and thyme, add garlic and rub duck legs with the mixture. Place in a container and sprinkle with the remaining mixture and peppercorns. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Melt duck fat in 2 tsp hot water in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until clear. Add duck legs, skin side down. Bring to a boil and cover pan. Lower heat and simmer 2-3 hours or until very tender when tested with a fork. Strain fat, cool and save.
To serve as an entree, cover and bake the confit at 400 F until brown and crispy, about 1/2 hour. To top salads, remove some pieces and crisp in a skillet. Confit can be refrigerated up to 10 days, or frozen.
Alternate:
Preheat the oven to 250°. Brush excess seasoning mix off the duck legs. Put the duck fat in a baking dish or pan large enough to hold all the duck legs in a single layer and deep enough to allow the legs to be submerged in fat. Warm the fat to 200° over moderately low heat, then slip the duck legs into the fat. Add a whole head of garlic (halved), thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. The duck legs must be completely submerged.
Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven. Cook until the meat is very tender when pierced but not falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool until the fat is just warm.
With tongs, remove the duck legs and transfer them to a sterile container for storage. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the warm, clear duck fat over the legs, leaving the dark juices at the bottom of the dish behind. (Reserve those juices for flavoring other dishes, if desired.) Discard the garlic, thyme and bay leaf. The duck legs should be completely covered with fat. Cover and refrigerate. The confit can be eaten the following day but will taste better if matured for at least 1 week. It will keep, if untouched, for up to 3 months. Serves 4 or more, depending on use.
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