Confit de canard
Duck confit (confit de canard) is a common dish in the southwestern part of France and we had this quite regularly during our last France trip.
The weather in Gascony, where the dish originated, is frequently hot and dry, making it excellent for preserving meat. The original confit de canard recipe was created when people needed to store meat for extended periods of time without refrigeration. The process consists of rubbing the meat with salt then slow cooking it in its own fat. This results in a tender and flavourful meat that keeps for months. To serve, the skin is crisped in a pan giving you the sinful combination of silky meat and crackling skin.
I made this dish for the family last weekend. Serving the delicious duck legs with chunky mashed potato flavoured with the remaining glorious duck fat, burnt vegetables and slices of spicy Italian sausages for that extra protein.
