Duck Confit: An Easier, Cheaper Way to Make It at Home

published Nov 7, 2012

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Duck confit is one of those dishes I figured I would never make at home. Poaching duck legs in fat sounds messy, difficult and expensive — duck fat isn’t cheap. But I learned there is an easier, cheaper way to make duck confit, and now I’m tempted to give this classic cooking and preservation technique a try.

In place of pricey, hard-to-find duck fat, regular olive oil can be used to poach duck legs and thighs. The meat is rubbed with salt and herbs and dry-brined in the refrigerator for a couple days before being placed in a pot, covered in olive oil, and simmered in a low oven for several hours, until it is falling off the bone. Cooled and left submerged in the fat, the duck will keep refrigerated for up to three weeks.

The confited duck can be shredded and used for appetizers like duck rillettes or roasted whole until warm and crispy. Either way, it’s an ingredient I’d always be happy to have on hand.