Homeade Duck Confit

This was the first homemade confit I have ever had. When my family and I went to France, we stocked up on food to bring back to the U.S.A. Most of the food has now disappeared, except for a small morsel of pate, and one can of duck confit. Don't worry, it's the large kind.

Anyways, three cans of confit has shown me that, a good confit is a special thing. I have also had homemade cassoulet made from the same duck. Next time I eat it I'll put it up. It's amazing. Back to the point, when I heard my dad was making confit, I was of course excited. Excited to compare his dish with the French version, excited to see how it's made, and mostly excited to eat it! The can-confit was savory and delicious, the best confit ever...or so I thought...


For dinner last night, my dad finally unveiled his Duck Confit with cabbage, carrots, and garlic. It was delicious. The confit was duck leg quarters that was marinated in herbs, salt, and olive oil. Then it was simmered in a bath of duck fat all day, then drained. Then, put on high heat to crisp the outside, in the oven, draining the rest of the fat. The vegetables were cooked in pan all together, and then placed on a large plate, with spinach and cucumbers. Then, the confit was carefully placed on top.
It was delicious, and beautiful. It melted in my mouth, like butter. It was salty, but not too salty. It was subtle and simply perfect.
Then, when I had eaten most of the meat that fell off the bone onto my fork and into my mouth, I took my fork and shred it into small pieces, and mixed it into the cabbage and carrots. The vegetables were so delicious, I could hardly believe they were vegetables, they were just as delicious as the confit. So two delicious foods on their own, but together...They were amazing. The vegetables were satisfying, and when you got even a small piece of confit, you get excited.


So, can confit or homemade confit? My decision was simple. The authentic French confit, straight from Europe, or the homemade confit, cooked in my oven? Homemade, hands down. It was like comparing canned peaches, with a real peach. Canned peaches are delicious, yes, but are they as good as a peach that still has its soft skin on it preserving it's sweet inside. Duck Confit; definitely love at the first bite.