Method · Wet and slow
Confit
Cook slowly in fat, and get meat that is rich, tender and keeps for weeks.
Confit is the old way of keeping meat before fridges: salt it, cook it very slowly under fat, and store it in that fat. The keeping part matters less now. The eating part is why it has lasted. It is a cure and a cook, and it rewards planning ahead.
This lesson is free, start to finish. So is every other one.
At a glance
- Best for
- Duck legs, chicken thighs, pork shoulder, garlic, tomatoes
- Heat
- 200°F oven. The fat barely shimmers.
- Time
- A day to cure, 3 to 4 hours to cook
- Level
- Advanced. Simple steps, long clock.
What you need
- A Dutch oven or deep baking dish
- The pieces should fit snug in one layer, so it takes less fat.
- A kitchen scale
- The salt is measured by weight. This is a cure.
- Enough fat to cover
- Duck fat for duck. Olive oil works for chicken, garlic and vegetables.
- A clean container with a lid
- For storing it under the fat.
Why it works
The salt cure seasons the meat all the way through and firms it up. The fat does two jobs. It holds a low, even heat around the meat, far gentler than an oven’s air. And because fat isn’t water, the meat’s own juices stay in instead of cooking out into a broth. Hours at that heat melt the collagen, the same as a braise, without washing the flavor away.
The cure
- Weigh the meat. Work out 2 percent of that weight in salt. For 3 pounds of duck legs, that’s about 27 grams.
- Rub the salt over every surface. Add pepper, garlic, thyme and a bay leaf.
- Cover and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. Twelve is the least. Forty-eight is the most.
- Rinse the cure off under cold water. Pat the meat bone dry. Skip the rinse and it will be too salty to eat.
The cook, step by step
- Heat the oven to 200°F. Melt the fat gently until it’s liquid and just warm.
- Pack the meat into the pot in one layer, skin side up.
- Pour the fat over until everything is covered. Anything sticking out will dry and toughen.
- Cook uncovered for 3 to 4 hours. You want a bubble or two a second, never a real simmer. If it bubbles steadily, drop the oven 25 degrees.
- It’s done when a small knife meets no resistance and the meat pulls back from the bone.
- Cool it in the fat until warm.
Store it and crisp it
- Move the meat to a clean container. Strain the fat over it until it’s covered. Chill at least overnight. It’s better at three days.
- To serve, warm the container enough to lift a piece out. Scrape off the extra fat.
- Set it skin side down in a dry skillet over medium heat. Leave it 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is deep brown and crisp.
- Turn it for a minute or two to heat the other side. Rest 5 minutes.
- Keep the fat. Strained and chilled, it roasts the best potatoes you’ll ever eat.
Garlic and vegetables
The same method works for garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes and shallots, covered in olive oil at 225°F until soft, about an hour. One rule here is about safety, not taste. Garlic or vegetables kept in oil must go straight into the fridge and be used within four days, or frozen. Never store them at room temperature. Oil keeps the air out, and that is exactly what the botulism germ needs.
When it goes wrong
- Too salty
- The cure wasn’t rinsed, or it ran past 48 hours. Rinse well and keep to a day.
- Dry, tough meat
- The fat was simmering. That is frying. Drop the oven until it barely bubbles.
- It fell apart when crisping
- It cooked too long. Stop when the knife slides in, and chill it before you crisp it.
- Skin won’t crisp
- Too much fat left on, or the pan was crowded. Scrape it, start skin side down, and leave it alone.
- Not enough fat to cover
- Use a smaller pot so the pieces sit tight, and top it up with olive oil.
Practice on these