Confit de Canard

Night before: Rub each piece of duck, both skin and meat side, with one generous tablespoon of salt. Place in a bowl skin side down. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 12 hours.

Next day: Rub off all excess salt with a kitchen towel and pat dry. Place fat in a heavy stainless steel pot or enamelled cast iron pan and place over a medium high heat until the fat melts and starts to simmer.

Put the duck pieces into the fat, skin side down, and cook at a gentle simmer. I use a screened splatter shield over the top of the pan; do not cover with a tight lid. Cook for between 60-75 minutes, just until the leg meat starts to shrink away from the bone and the juices run clear when pierced with a large needle or skewer.
Carefully transfer the duck into a large glass jar or ceramic terrine with tongs. Pour the strained fat over the duck, covering completely. Let cool to room temperature, cover with a lid or plastic wrap then transfer to the refrigerator. The fat will solidify and preserve the duck. The confit is best when aged at least 2 weeks; it will keep easily 3-4 months at refrigerated temperatures.

To Serve: Remove the confit from the fridge, return to room temperature and scrape off most of the fat. Use a couple of spoons of this fat to cook thick sliced potatoes in a heavy skillet until golden and tender. When the potatoes are done, remove to a warm platter and keep uncovered in a warm oven. Place the duck pieces skin side down in the hot pan and cook until the skin is browned and crisp, turn over, lower the heat and continue to cook until the duck is hot all the way through.

In the meantime, chop fresh parsley and garlic together to create a persillade. Just before serving, sprinkle generously over the warm potatoes, place the duck on top and serve tout de suite. A fresh green salad of escarole or frisée dressed with a simple vinaigrette is a perfect complement to the rich poultry. Serves 4

Rendered duck fat: this is available in tins from specialty stores