Duck Confit

By WisconsinMike

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Ingredients

• 4 duck legs
• 2 T. finely chopped thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 C. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 T. sugar
• 1 T. fresh ground pepper
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 1 T. ground ginger
• 6 C. duck fat

Preparation

Step 1

1. Using a knife, trim skin on drumsticks about 1" below the tip of the bone and scrape down toward the meat, exposing the bone; place legs on a baking sheet and set aside. Grind thyme and bay leaves in a spice grinder, transfer to a bowl. Stir in salt, sugar, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger; rub mixture all over duck, pressing it into the skin and coating completely. Cover with plastic wrap; chill overnight or up to 2 days.

2. Next day, rinse duck and pat completely dry with paper towels. Melt duck fat in an 8 qt. saucepan until it reaches 200 degrees. Add duck legs and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Let cool to room temperature then cover and chill. The confit can be used right away or will keep for up to a month.

3. To serve, Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove duck from fat; place skin side up on a baking sheet with a wire rack. Bake until skin is browned and crisp, about 40 minutes.