Confit duck legs

Rich, dark meat under a thick layer of fat — for confit, slow braises and crisp-skinned roasting.

What to do with it

Classics built on it

Gascon and the South-WestCassouletWhite beans baked slowly in a deep clay dish with duck confit, pork and garlicky sausage, under a crust that's broken and formed again.No one here has made it yet Gascon and the South-WestGarbureA thick farmhouse soup of cabbage, beans and root vegetables, cooked with ham and confit until a spoon nearly stands in it.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Fresh: For confit, braising and roasting.
Confit: Already cooked in its own fat, in tins or jars; crisp it in the oven.

Knowing it

Where to buy: Butchers and good supermarkets; French delis for ready-made confit.
Worth knowing: For confit: salt overnight with garlic and thyme, rinse, then cook submerged in duck fat in a low oven for two to three hours.

Kitchens that keep it in

Gascony and the south-west of France — from Bordeaux and the Périgord down to Toulouse and the PyreneesGascon and the South-WestDuck and goose in every form, cooked and kept in their own fat, with white beans, garlic, walnuts, prunes and a glass of Armagnac.7 classics