Duck Confit with Soft Boiled Duck Eggs

Yield 12 confit
Matt Rojas' Duck Confit with Soft Boiled Duck Eggs Recipe | D'Artagnan
RECIPE Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds salt
  • 1/2 pound light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup juniper berries
  • 1/2 cup star anise
  • 1/2 cup allspice
  • 8 bay leaves, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seed
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seed
  • 4 ounces herbs, equal parts thyme, parsley and oregano
  • 12 Moulard Duck Legs
  • 6 quarts Duck Fat
  • 12 duck eggs
Recipe notes
Make this duck confit recipe with a fragrant spice mixture and long simmer in duck fat. The resulting confit is succulent and flavorful with a crispy crackling skin.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. Cure duck legs: Toast spices until warm and fragrant. Add to a food processor with salt, sugar, bay, chili flakes, and herbs. Blend to a fine consistency. Place twelve pieces of plastic (large enough to wrap duck with) on a table. Use 2 tablespoons of spice mixture per pound of duck meat and spread over and under each leg. Wrap the legs tightly and refrigerate for 10 hours.
  2. After alloted time has passed, rinse cure from duck and place in a pan large enough to fit all the legs in a single layer.
  3. Make the confit: Melt duck fat and pour into the pan covering the legs. Cook in oven at 190 degrees F for 12-16 hours. Remove duck legs from fat when meat is tender and almost falling off the bone.
  4. To serve: Place duck legs in a cast iron pan, skin side down, with some of the duck fat on a low flame. Cook until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
  5. Place duck eggs in a small pot, cover with cold water. Place pan over high heat. When water starts to simmer, cook eggs for 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon. Peel and cut in half. Serve 1 egg with 1 leg of confit and greens tossed in lemon juice.