duck fat

A classic French dish originated in the Gascony region and spread throughout France and the world. Originally, this food was made from a whole duck, but nowadays it is common to make it using only duck legs. It is a very unique way toprepare the meat. The meat is marinated with salt and herbs overnight or up to 36 hours at +4 degrees C and then cooked completely covered with the duck fat at very low temperature for about 8 hours. Cooking in fat makes the meat really soft, tender and it remains very juicy. Fat also allows the meat to be preserved. When prepared in this way, the meatcan be preserved in the congealed fat for months and even years. Before serving the confit, the fat is melted, the duck legs are lifted out, dried from the excess fat and grilled until golden brown and served with your favorite toppings.
Making this dish takes a big undertaking, but trust me, the result is worth the effort.

Preparation time: 1 day marinating the duck legs, 8 hours cooking, 35-45 minutes browning the meat
Level: Medium
Serves: four

Ingredients:
Four duck legs
800 g of duck fat
3 tbsp of sea salt
Small bunch of the thyme, if desired you can also add other herbs such as sage, rosemary and oregano
6 cloves of garlic crushed
1 medium onion sliced
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 bay leaves

Preparation:

1. Chop the onion and crush the garlic, rub the duck leg with a mixture of sea salt, garlic and thyme, place in a bowl with the onion and thyme. Marinate for 24 hours
2. Melt the duck fat, pour it into a thick-bottomed pot, wipe the duck legs clean of herbs and peppercorns and place them in the pot so that the legs are completely covered with fat.
3. Bake in the oven at 100 degrees C for about 8 hours.
4. Meat can be stored in this fat for quite a long time. I still kept it at +4 degrees C, but nothing happens to the meat even at room temperature.
5. Before final cooking, melt the fat, carefully remove the legs, the meat is very soft and can fall apart easily.
6. Drain the meat dry of excess fat, place the pieces of meat on the oven rack, put a baking tray under the rack to catch the fat, and cook on the grill for 35-45 minutes or until the legs are nicely browned and the skin is crispy.
7. Serve with your favorite side dish, raw salad, oven casseroles, roasted vegetables.
   Done!!