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DivePalau t1_j44d2y5 wrote

Reply to comment by rivetcityransom in TIL Duck is considered a red meat by culinary standards. by BertyBert1

I love Duck Confit. I don’t know what it means or what they do to it. I just know it’s amazing.

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tyvanius t1_j44g9yo wrote

Confit is a technique where the food is cooked in its own fat. So duck confit is roasted with a healthy heap of duck fat added in. Basically, anytime you see confit on a menu, it will be the richest, most buttery entree available.

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kachuck t1_j44ldz0 wrote

Duck fat is also known as liquid gold. For a good reason too

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SunlitNight t1_j451gi2 wrote

What reason Is that?

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Reddit-Answered t1_j45950f wrote

Duck fat is often referred to as "liquid gold" because of its rich, delicious taste and its versatility in cooking. It is a prized ingredient in many traditional French and other European cuisines, and is used for frying, sautéing, and roasting. Its high smoke point of about 375°F means it can be used for high-heat cooking methods without breaking down and creating harmful smoke compounds. Duck fat also contains a higher proportion of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than goose or pork fats, which are considered to be healthier fats. Additionally, its rich flavor is considered by many chefs and food enthusiasts to be superior to other types of fats, which is why it is often referred to as "liquid gold."

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Craw__ t1_j44tv0b wrote

Not necessarily it's own fat. Slow cooked in liquid, usually fat or oil though.

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johnnycakeAK t1_j44wabp wrote

Duck Confit is accurately only done by cooking it at low temp in duck fat. Using any other liquid or oil would be poached

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Craw__ t1_j4554yu wrote

I'm referring to confit as a cooking technique, not specifically duck confit.

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boblinquist t1_j46bnhz wrote

This is not true. Confit is as much a preservation technique as anything, although that's not as vital as a requirement these days. Confit comes from the French verb confire, which literally means to preserve. You can't just call anything slow-cooked in a liquid confit.

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glacierre2 t1_j46y90i wrote

Confitura is an alternative word for marmalade in Spanish.

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boblinquist t1_j47iynn wrote

Yep, which is how they used to preserve the oranges! Just slow cook in sugar syrup. It's amazing how much cooking we do came about due to a lack of fresh ingredients

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[deleted] t1_j452p1n wrote

A crucial part of duck confit is to heavily salt (with herbs and other seasonings) it the day before you confit it. The salt draws out the moisture and allows the duck to cook properly.

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StuiWooi t1_j47kuw1 wrote

I always thought it was submerged in a given fat/oil but kept below boiling, it's never crispy

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rivetcityransom t1_j44lxp3 wrote

Agreed! Basically it's duck legs that are slow-cooked in duck fat, then sealed in a container with more duck fat poured over them. It's a really old way of preserving meat that also happens to be delicious!

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notdancingQueen t1_j45l9gp wrote

And then you take them out of the can, swipe the fat in a pan, put the legs in the oven (I love when the skin gets a bit crunchy)... And sautée/broil/otherwise fry some diced potatoes in the fat meanwhile.

Serve duck+potatoes with some green salad with vinaigrette seasoning as a side. Simple and way tastier than chicken or steak.

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