Jacques’ La Technique was incredibly influential to me in the early days of my cooking career. I was fortunate to meet Jacques, appear on his show, and cook for him many times at my restaurant Bizou and COCO5OO which was around the corner from KQED in San Francisco where his shows were produced. The even slicing of the shallot in this recipe reminds me of many of the lessons Jacques taught me (and my cooks) over the years.

Duck Confit with Escarole-Apple Salad

Recipe details

Serves

4

When browning duck confit, it is a good idea to wear long sleeves and an apron and use a splatter screen or plate as the duck legs may splatter and pop in the hot pan, similar to frying chicken.

For the Duck Confit with Escarole and Apple Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 legs Duck Confit and reserved duck fat (recipe follows)
  • 2 tart apples, preferably local or Granny Smith, cut into wedges
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple juice
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 heads escarole
  • 3 to 4 radicchio leaves
  • Kosher salt

Method

  1. If the duck confit was made in advance, remove from the refrigerator. Set the casserole in hot water just long enough for the fat to begin to liquify at the edges. Reverse the container into a bowl or onto a plate, so that the jellied layer of ‘duck cooking juice’ or cuisson can be removed. Reserve ½ cup of the duck fat and return the rest to the refrigerator for future use.
  2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil and a couple teaspoons of duck fat in a medium cast iron pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the apples, shallots, and thyme, keeping them separated in the pan, cook, turning half way through, until lightly brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove to a plate, but reserve the pan with its juices. Finely chop the thyme and return to the plate.
  3. Warm the duck cooking juice in the pan over medium heat. Return the shallot and the thyme. Pour in the apple juice, stirring to combine until warmed through. Turn off the heat.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together the mustard and the vinegar, followed by the duck fat-shallot mixture in the pan. Season with a few cracks of black pepper, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The dressing should be both sweet from the apples and savory-tart from the vinegar and mustard. Taste and adjust as needed.
  5. Set a large cast iron pan that will hold the duck legs in an even layer over medium-high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of duck fat and when it is hot, but not smoking, carefully place the duck legs skin side down in the pan. Top with a weight or a plate and cook, without moving, until the skin is crisp and golden brown and the legs are heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.
  6. While the duck legs are browning, coarsely tear the escarole and radicchio leaves into a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat the leaves. Season with a little salt and add the cooked apples. Place the hot duck legs on top of the salad and serve while the duck legs are still warm.

 

For the Duck Confit

Ingredients

  • 8 juniper berries
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 4 duck legs
  • 2 to 3 quarts rendered duck fat

Method

  1. A day before cooking the duck, begin by preparing the salt. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the juniper berries. Add the bay leaves, breaking them into large pieces, the thyme, and salt. Mix to combine and release the oils into the salt.
  2. Put the duck legs on a large plate and season fairly generously on both sides, being sure to get the knuckles. You will not use all of the salt. Refrigerate the legs uncovered overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  4. Choose an ovenproof dish or casserole that is just big enough to hold the legs.
  5. In a medium saucepan, warm the duck fat, just so it liquifies. Pour a small amount of the fat in the bottom of the dish to keep the legs from sticking. Slide the duck legs on top and pour in enough fat so that they are submerged. Cover and transfer to the oven.
  6. Cook, keeping the fat just at the point of simmering (it should not boil, lower the oven temperature to 275°F if needed), until the duck legs are tender, about 2 hours. To check the doneness, remove 1 duck leg to a plate. The joint should be easy to flex and the meat should have shrunk away from the knuckle. If it is not easy to flex the joint, continue to cook, checking every 20 minutes, until the meat is tender and the joint gives.
  7. Remove from the oven and let the legs cool in the fat to room temperature. If using immediately, once cooled, remove the legs from the fat and set on a plate or a cooling rack, skin side up. Strain the fat into a liquid measuring cup or a clear container, reserving the juices.
  8. If making in advance, once cooled, cover and refrigerate. The pan juices will settle in the bottom. The duck’s flavor will continue to develop and can be refrigerated for up to four months.