14 Nebraskaland • March 2019
PHOTO
BY
JENNY
NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
IN THE FIELD
SLOW COOKER DUCK CONFIT
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Confit is a French cooking technique
that calls for slow cooking meat in fat
– preferably the animal's own fat. The
low, slow heat breaks down collagen
and the flavor of the fat infuses into
the meat. Domestic ducks have so
much fat on them that they can be
rendered down for later use. And in
many cases, the same can be true for
several species of hunted waterfowl.
For how-to instruction on rendering
your own duck/goose fat, check out
Hank Shaw's blog post at honest-
food.net/how-to-render-duck-fat. The
resulting fat is buttery and nutty. Use
it to sear meat, fry eggs and potatoes,
and to sauté greens ... anything you
would normally do with cooking oil.
If that's too much work or if you don't
shoot enough waterfowl throughout
the year to render, buy jarred duck fat
at specialty food stores or online. The
brand I use is Rougie.
Servings: 2-4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 hours
Ingredients:
•
8 small or 4 large duck/goose legs
and thighs (skin on for choice
birds, skin off for less desirable
species – pictured is snow goose)
•
Salt and pepper to taste
•
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
•
8 ounces of rendered duck fat
•
Special equipment: Vacuum sealer
and bag or heavy-duty zip-top bag
1. Pat duck/goose legs and thighs
dry with paper towels and season well
with salt. Place in a vacuum sealable
bag or zip-top bag and add duck fat
and thyme. Remove as much air out of
the bag as possible and seal. (If using a
vacuum sealer, be careful not to let the
vacuum suck out the fat.)
2. Place the bag in a slow cooker
and submerge with water. Cover, turn
slow cooker on low and cook for 10-15
hours, or until meat becomes tender.
Cooking times will vary depending
on size and age of birds. If necessary,
use a heavy bowl/plate to keep the
bag submerged. Flip the bag halfway
through or every few hours for more
even cooking. (Vacuum sealed bags
will inflate as the pressure inside
the bag changes – this is normal. An
advantage in using a zip-top bag is the
ability to check doneness.)
3. Remove legs from the bag. Drop a
tablespoon or two of remaining duck
fat into a pan and heat over medium-
high. Sear legs on both sides for a nice
brown crust. Season to taste. Serve
with your favorite sides, preferably
something with a bit of tartness
to complement the richness of the
confit, such as a vinegary salad, slaw,
sauerkraut or kimchi.
