duck confit

Duck confit (4 duck legs)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper (whole peppercorns and ground both fine)
4 sprigs thyme
4 bay leaves
1 lemon (or less)
4 cloves garlic
2-4 cups of fat (duck fat, olive oil, or lard)
2 lbs duck leg
1-2 shallots, finely chopped.

Prep:
1. Trim duck fat, render and reserve.
2. Lay duck skin side down (keep flesh to flesh), season with salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, lemon, garlic in refrigeratable container.
3. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2.5 days.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 200F
2. Rinse duck with cool water, pat dry.
3. Put seasoned reserved fat in cast iron pot.
4. Lay duck on top, skin side down, add more reserve and finish with oil (until legs are covered).
5. Cover and bake 12-14 hrs, or until meat pulls from bone.

Preservation:
1. Referigerate duck, with fat, covered (up to 3 mo.)
2. To prepare, do NOT pull duck out of congealed fat - reheat, extract duck.
3. Quickly sear duck skin side only.

Alternatively temperature can be increased to 225 for 2-4 hrs and 300 for 2 hrs.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eng_3c3XFxw