- 1 small Duck Leg per person
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, optional
- 1/2 cup (or more) olive oil, optional
To make duck confit in the oven:
Preheat oven to 250F.
Using a pushpin, prick skin all over (this will help the fat that is between the skin and the meat to render out while cooking). Rub duck legs with 2 cloves chopped garlic and freshly-ground pepper.
Arrange duck skin-side down in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven, and add 1/2 cup water and fresh thyme, if using. Cover and cook in oven until fat renders out, about 2 hours.
Carefully remove pan from oven and flip the duck pieces. There will be a lot of fat — it’s OK!!! Cover and return to oven until meat is very tender, about 2-1/2 more hours. The joint should feel loose and the meat should slip easily off the bone.
To make duck confit in a slow cooker:
Using a pushpin, prick skin all over (this will help the fat that is between the skin and the meat to render out while cooking). Rub duck legs with 2 cloves chopped garlic and freshly-ground pepper.
Arrange duck legs in your crockpot (overlapping is okay). Cover with olive oil until legs are fully submerged. Add thyme.
Cook on low for 10 hours. Remove from heat, and put the container, as is, in the fridge for 24 hrs. At this step, you can store the meat for several weeks, as long as it is fully submerged in fat and the container is tightly sealed.
To serve
If you’re serving the legs whole, it’s very nice to crisp up the skin in a hot frying pan or under the broiler before serving.
Serve with bread to mop up the fat, along with a crunchy salad such as cabbage slaw, raddichio & citrus, or kale salad, plus rice or noodles.
Alternately, meat can be removed from the bone and shredded and then used as a filling for ravioli, cabbage rolls, etc. (will be very tender)
