Smoked Duck Confit

Posted by BBQ Resources at 1/5/2009 4:00 PM
Categories: Projects
Smoked Duck Confit

If you've spent any time at all following our Black Pig blog or perused our growing catalogue of recipes, you'll see reference to the book 'Charcuterie' on many, many occasions.  This book has been a great reference and inspirational resource for both Big Dog and I as we look for inspiration, direction and guidelines in our tour through the world of salting, smoking, curing and brining. 

One project I've been wanting to do for a quite a long time is that of duck confit.  I've heard the name many times and kept thinking it was a super-highbrow hoidy-toidy kind of dish, but when you get down to the bones of the recipe it's just more 'meat-meets-fat' kind of thing that gets us all excited because we certainly know that that combo makes for some good eats!

What follows in the next couple post is a collective 'Duckumentary' of three distinct recipes for duck meat using the meat and fat from two ducks I recently picked up at the store.
The twist with this version comes from the input of a fellow charcuterie enthusiast, Reg Pelletier, of Niagara Falls, ON.  He suggested the idea of cold smoking the duck for an hour or so before following the traditional confit method and that's what I did.  Not to give the ending away, but the results were dynamite.  Here's how it all went down:

I purchased 2 ducks, one about 4 lbs the other closer to 6.  Cut the 4 breasts for duck proscuitto (recipe in following posts), then did my best attempt at butchering out the legs and thighs for the confit.  All the fat was rendered out (fat, plus 1/4 cup water on low heat til fat ran clear and strained out the remaining bits), and saved to cover the thigh/drums.  The carcass was used to make a stock which ended up in a great Italian arborio rice, smoked chicken and vegetable soup we had over the holidays.

On the 4 legs/4thighs went the following:
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
-  pinch each of ground clove, cinnamon and allspice
- a finishing drizzle of Cointreau (orange liqueur)
Put seasoned pieces of duck into a non-reactive container and place in the fridge overnight, up to 48 hrs.  Remove and run under cold water to remove surface seasoning.  Pat dry with paper towel.



The duck legs/thighs then went into the smoker, running at a nice cool 60°F with a good flow of applewood smoke for about 70 minutes.



After the smoking portion of the process, the legs/thighs came inside and were laid in the bottom of a heavy cast-iron dutch oven, then covered with the rendered duck fat (which had to be topped up with a bit of pork fat (lard) to ensure all pieces were completely covered (very important!!).  Into an oven set on lowest temp (for me that meant 170°F) for approx 6 hrs, or until the fat ran clear, and the duck was settled on the bottom of the pot.  After that, into the fridge for a week or so to 'bloom' and for flavours to meld.

To serve, set the dutch oven or pot onto the stovetop and reheat on low until the fat releases the treasure of the legs and thighs.  You can either sear the finished pieces in a cast iron skillet or put on a baking sheet and put into a hot oven or even under the broiler for a few minutes.  Either method will crisp the skin and bring the finished duck to serving temp.  I used a skillet stovetop and was really happy with the results.  Only thing I would change in a return attempt is to do more!  More duck confit!!!  This stuff is beyond good and definitely tastes like 'more'!

Qfan
 

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