the last tin of confit is hiding in the cellar waiting for Christmas…
there are 5 portions inside… (hurrah) … and I shall freeze the ones we don’t cook…
removing all the duckfat, storing it in its own special jar in the fridge… yummy.
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Such is the febrile nature of Survive France at the moment, every time I see this thread title I assume that someone is having a moan about Yorkshire pudding…
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Every third week I confit half a dozen duck legs and get a further half a litre or so of duck fat, as well as some intense but slightly salty duck jelly. This has being going on for several years and unfortunately none of our friends gets through duck fat as fast as I confit the legs (or they’re vegetarians, tho’ you’d think they could make an exception for duck fat). Meanwhile, our nearest neighbour’s family has a duck farm and the rest of the village whom we know aren’t interested, so it piles up in the freezer. Maybe I should give it away on the streets of Decazeville - around here it’s €6 for half a kilo…
OTOH - Oh look there’s that mad old Brit who tries to give away duck fat…
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What a shame. Had I known I would have bashed on your door in passing when we were the other side of the river from you in October. There are some things I miss living with a vegetarian. And duck fat potatoes is one of them.
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I’d post you some in return for that horseradish (which has prospered), but It might make a horrible mess in your mailbox - the melting point is remarkably low and it oozes everywhere.
Maybe next time, and if you’re ever again looking for a knife over here - Rodez is maybe a better bet than Laguiole…
You can make excellent soap with it🙂
Thanks, and please forgive my ignorance of soap making, but smearing oneself in duck fat sounds a bit primaeval - coud go badly wrong for a novice, though I suspect I’d be very popular with our caniche who’s only ever allowed to eat Royal Canin kibbles.
And would it go rancid very quickly?
Not at all because you get it to react with caustic soda and water and whichever essential oils you decide to use, if any. If worried about rancidity infuse it with rosemary. There’s no smell or sensation of duck fat at all, just very soft lather and a good hard soap.
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Thanks for that, might have a go - tho’ not sure OH would be easily convinced.
Don’t suppose you’d also have a cheap recipe for Czech & Speake No.88 cologne, Always worth asking!
I’m impressed! I make confit de canard but just have one or two big sessions in December or January when the local eleveurs do a promo. The thing is…the cuisses barely render enough fat for preserving purposes, so I never have a surplus for cooking with. Just a small jar-full after I’ve re-heated the confit. Still, better than nothing, I suppose 
Cheap means cheap ingredients, won’t smell nice! Attar of roses (I think C&S call it rose otto) is hideously expensive if it’s good 
Thanks, but it’s really easy once you get into the habit.
I do six at a time because that’s the max I can fit into my biggest (s/h €10 ) le Creuset casserole. for me the secret of good confit de canard is to keep the cooking temperature between C80° and 90° for two hours and then to let the duck continue cooking in the fat as it cools down. That way it shouldn’t be too dry when you reheat it. Reheat in a very hot oven for 15 minutes to warm it through and crispen the fat. The remainder can be preserved under fat in a sterilised container or vacuum packed, which is what Ido. Either way they’ll keep in the fridge for a couple of months (though ours never last that long).
Lastly, here’s the recipe that I use , yes, it’s American not French!
Ah…I do mine as my French neighbour instructed. Season them, cook for 10-15 minutes in a hot oven, transfer to Le Parfait jars then sterilise for 1 hour. That explains why you get a better rendement of fat and I have to wait until I open the jars. Thank you for the link…I might have a go at that method this winter. The principle, for me, is that the skin is lovely and crunchy when re-heated. Can’t stand the sad, soggy tinned stuff 
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I suspect that presenting beautifully tasty duck confit with a crisp skin (not soggy) is similar to producing a delicious yorkshire pudding…
There will doubtless be various methods and it’s a case of each to his/her own… 
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If you don’t make it yourself, I’d recommend buying from a duck butcher I’m sure @vero will provide the correct French term) or failing that from a butcher. For me the tinned versions seem to be overcooked and the skin is so thin that it doesn’t crispen properly.
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Once you feel confident about the cooking, it makes sense to do as many legs as possible at once, because they keep so well.
The other bonus of this recipe is that you also get a whole head of garlic confit.
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I usually fill all three shelves of the oven, with perhaps 4 cuisses per tray, just swap top and bottom trays during cooking to ensure even crisping. x 2 sessions. The wider Le Parfait jars take two cuisses each and the big sterilising bucket easily takes 9-10 jars. Any overflow goes in the smaller electric steriliser. There’s something sooo satisfying in labelling up the jars and tucking them away in the cool store…
Have you tried confit de porc?
I make confit in my slow cooker, usually duck but I have done pig too.
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One of the joys of life in France… is the ability to buy local products of excellent quality.
OH and I thoroughly enjoy an invite to dine in certain homes… and our pals are keen to
share their expertise and the fruits of their labours…
Like Vero, I do duck, goose and pork belly confit in the slow cooker.
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