Duck Confit. perfict meal for the cool days ahead.

The first cold front is here with temptures dipping in to the low 70s. with that is marks the short winter for the Florida Keys. Ac units are turned off windows open up and high winds keeping the boats in the harbor.

Now I know what you are saying low 70’s thats not cold. After a long hot summer being able to shut off the ac units and open up the house. With the fresh breaze coming in thru the windows its time to cook some amazing food and make all the neighbors hungry.

The Duck ready for the oven

Duck confit is simple to make just remember this is not a 30 minuit meal it takes one to two days of refregerating and up to 5 hours of cooking.

| Preparation |

Sprinkle 1 Tbsp salt in the bottom of a sheet pan large enough to hold the duck pieces in a single layer. Evenly scatter half the garlic, shallots and thyme in the container. Tidy up the duck legs by pulling off any large bits of fat and trimming any skin that hangs way beyond the meat. (You can put the skin and fat in a small saucepan over low heat to render the fat; save this for confit or for another use. Arrange duck pieces, skin-side up, over the salt mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, garlic, shallots, thyme and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 185°F. Brush the salt and seasonings off the duck, reserving the thyme, garlic and shallots. Rinse duck pieces under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange duck pieces in a single, snug layer in a high-sided baking dish or oven-proof saucepan and add the reserved seasoning. Pour theDuck fat over the duck, making sure the pieces are completely covered, and place in the oven.

Cook at a very slow simmer – just an occasional bubble – until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 3 to 4 hours. If the oil bubbles more, adjust the oven temperature. Remove the pan from the oven.

Cool and store the duck in the fat. While submerged in the fat, the duck will remain preserved for 2 to 3 weeks.

To eat confit as a main dish

Heat the oven to 375°F. Arrange the duck legs skin side up on a heavy rimmed baking sheet and cook until just barely heated through, about 15 minutes. Raise the heat to 425°F. Flip the legs skin side down and continue to cook until the skin is crisp and brown; use a thin spatula to remove them from the pan. If you need just a few legs’ worth of confit, heat them in a skillet, and crisp the skin over medium-high heat.