confiting my first set of duck legs

[AngryAmish]

Never did it before. Right now a 36 hour marinade in salt, thyme and bay leaves, then 12 hours in my sous vide (actually a hot wired crock pot with a temperture controller.)

My bride gave me sausage making gear and a friend gave me the Fatted Calf's Charcuterie bok. By spring I will have gout, but oh so delicious, homemade gout.

I am buying ten pounds of leaf lard tomorrow.

I should quit my job.

[Galileo126]

1. I'm interested in how the duck came out

I love duck legs that have been confited. What temp did you use for those 12 hrs?

[AngryAmish]

2. Ill tell you in 24 hours

Dry marinade of mostly salt plus bay leaf and thyme for 12 more hours. Then into to water bath.

[sir pball]

3. With your setup I wouldn't bag them, just do them in the fat directly

Fill the crock pot with the melted lard, drop the legs in and stick the probe in. Let it go, then put the legs in a shallow baking dish and cover with the fat, let solidify. If you dig the pieces out one at a time, the "sealed" ones will keep for months.

I actually prefer to confit in a pan of fat in 225F oven instead of my Anova, even though I can circulate the fat directly with it. Sometimes the old-fashioned way really is better.

[Jenoch]

4. Are you using duck fat or lard?

I have a whole frozen duck in the freezer. I'm thinking of thawing it out, taking the breasts off, skin on then taking the leg quarters off, and cooking off the rest of it to render the fat. I'll confit the legs/thighs, and sear the breasts. Is this a viable plan? I have roasted whole ducks in the past, many years ago, but they were wild ducks without much fat.

[AngryAmish]

5. Much better than roasting whole.

[Jenoch]

6. Did you confit the legs using duck fat?

Or did you use the lard that you mentioned?

[AngryAmish]

7. oh, duck fat

[Galileo126]

8. I break the duck down, too

Sear the breasts to medium rare, and cook the legs for another day. I rarely have enough duck fat to confit, but what little I do have is usually saved for oven roasted potatoes in duck fat. Yum!

Note to self: buy a duck. It's been a while.

[bif]

9. Funny story...

We had some friends over who were serious foodies. To impress them I served them duck. Unfortunately I thought one duck would be enough for four people. We were all starving by the end of the dinner!