Duck Leg Confit

Directions

1. Put the duck legs in baking dish and rub with salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and crumbled bay leaves.
2. Chill overnight.
3. Rinse the duck legs well and pat dry.
4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
5. Put the duck legs, skin-side up, in a medium Dutch oven.
6. Pour sufficient melted duck fat over the duck legs to cover.
7. Heat the duck fat to a gentle simmer on medium heat.
8. Cover the Dutch oven and put it in the oven.
9. Bake for about 2 hrs or possibly till the duck is fork tender.
10. Transfer the duck to a plate, strain the fat, and pour a layer of fat into a large baking dish.
11. Put the duck legs on top and cover completely with the remaining fat.
12. Don't add in the duck juice left on the plate.
13. Cold completely.
14. Chill for at least 1 week and up to 2 weeks (to lessen the saltiness of the duck).
15. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
16. Lift the duck pcs out of the fat, removing as much as possible.
17. Heat a large saute/fry pan on medium-high heat and add in the legs, skin-side down.
18. Saute/fry the legs for 4 min.
19. Flip the legs and put the pan in the oven.
20. Roast the duck legs for 5 - 10 min or possibly till the skin is crispy.
21. You can purchase duck legs and duck fat at specialty food markets and butchers. Duck confit originated in Gascony, France as a means of preserving duck legs throughout the winter.
22. Yield is 4 servings.