Duck confit

(with thanks to Biddy White Lennon’s Best of Irish Recipes)

The secret with duck confit is to acquire sufficient duck fat to cover the duck legs either from previous roasting or confit making or from a good delicatessen.

Serves 4
4 duck marylands
sufficient duck fat to cover marylands
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
a large sprig of thyme
a large sprig of rosemary
1 or 2 fresh bay leaf or dried bay leaf.

Combine the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary leaves {stripped from stems}, sea salt and sugar and place the 4 marylands in a glass or pottery bowl. I use a large Emile Henry cooking dish that is flame proof. I rub the mixture into the marylands and place in the fridge at least over night and turn the marylands turning as often as possible.

In the morning take the marylands from the dish, wash under a tap, wipe as much as is possible of the herb mixture from the marylands and dry with a paper towel. Wash the dish if you are using the same dish to cook in.

Place the marylands in the flame proof dish and cover with duck fat. I place the Emile Henry on top of the stove at the lowest heat possible so that the fat is bubbling occasionally. Alternatively the dish can be put in the oven at 120C. Cook for about 2-3 hours turning the marylands occasionally. Remove from the heat and test to see that the meat is separating easily from the bone.

Salad suggestion

Mixed lettuce, salad spinach, rocket, avocado, cherry tomatoes, pear, nectarine, peach and mango mixed together.