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Confit de canard with sarladaise potatoes

My family still prepares their own confit de canard, slowly cooked in a cast iron over the ember. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Confit Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Classic French Recipe with a vegan twist, Confit de Canard, Sarladaise potatoes, French meal
Servings: 4 people
Author: Marie et Marcelle

Ingredients

Confit de canard

  • 4 duck legs
  • 5 sprigs of thyme - adjust to taste
  • 1 bay leaf - adjust to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves - adjust to taste
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

Duck Fat

  • Sarladaise potatoes
  • 600 g of waxy potatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves adjust to taste
  • Duck fat
  • Flat-leaf parsley
  • Sea salt and pepper

Instructions

Confit de canard

  • Rub salt and pepper on the duck flesh
  • Heat up duck fat in a cast iron casserole. Use a casserole that is large enough to hold a single layer of meat. Add the duck legs to the casserole on their skin and cook until it starts to golden. The duck legs will release some more fat.
  • Add the thyme, bay leaves and garlic cloves. Add more duck fat to the casserole to ensure the duck legs are fully immersed. Cover.
  • Place the casserole in the oven, previously pre-heated at 150 degrees. After 1-hour, turn the duck legs and cook for an additional hour
  • The duck fat should not boil. Reduce the oven temperature if needed. The duck legs will be ready when the meat falls out the bones

Sarladaise potates

  • Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice them thinly using a knife or a mandoline. Place the potatoes in cold water for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and pat the potatoes dry
  • Warm 2 to 3 tablespoons of duck fat in a pan over low to medium heat. Add the potato slices to the pan, season with sea salt. Cook until golden, tossing regularly so it doesn't burn. Add more duck fat to the pan as needed
  • Once the potatoes are golden, add chopped garlic, parsley and pepper

To serve

  • Serve the confit de canard with sarladaise potatoes, green salad and your choice of dressing (I would recommend a French dressing: 1 tbsp of Dijon Mustard, 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar, oil of your choice. Add the wine vinegar and oil slowly whilst mixing to create an emulsion)

Notes

Another alternative would be to source some good quality confit de canard from your local butcher and re-heat them in a frying pan. I recommend the produce from Mr. Duck.