I remember first tasting duck confit on a family holiday in the south of France, which is where my love for this deliciously tender dish first sprang from. The dish is prepared in an age old traditional method by salting the duck meat and then poaching it in its own fat. By salting the meat the duck is preserved, before it is cooked extremely slowly at a low temperature for up to 10 hours. The duck is cooled and then transferred to jars or cans. It is then topped up with duck fat and some jars and cans can be stored for up to several years!
Duck Confit and A Tasty Bean Stew
I absolutely love duck confit and this little dish is a perfect compliment. If you don't order online you should be able to pick up some in most gourmet food stores, but beware they can be pricey so do shop around.
Serves 4
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans
4 Confit Duck Legs at room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
1 litre of chicken stock
1 x 250g tin of chopped tomatoes
1/2 glass of white wine
A handful of freshly chopped parsley
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cloves, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are soft and tender, about 8 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, white wine and tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the stew has reduced a little. Stir every few minutes and spoon off any froth that bubbles to the top. 5 minutes before you serve add the beans and stir through.
Place the duck confit legs on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes at 200˚C/Gas Mark 6 or until the skin is sizzling.
Serve the duck confit on top of the bean stew and sprinkle with a little parsley! Serve straightaway!
