Duck Confit with Summer Succotash

Yield 4
Dixie Duck Confit with Succotash & Smoked Tomato Ketchup Recipe | D'Artagnan
RECIPE Ingredients

FOR THE CONFIT

  • 4 whole Moulard duck legs
  • 2 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 small thyme sprigs, to garnish
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots
  • 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 cups duck fat

FOR THE SUCCOTASH

  • 1 tablespoon duck fat or peanut oil
  • ½ cup finely diced Vidalia or other sweet onion
  • ½ cup each finely diced celery, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper
  • 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ small bay leaf
  • ½ tablespoon molasses
  • 2 cups fresh or defrosted frozen baby lima beans
  • 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
  • Kernels cut from 3 ears fresh corn, or 3 cups defrosted frozen corn
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ to ½ cup finely chopped, peeled and seeded tomatoes or drained canned tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

FOR THE SMOKED TOMATO KETCHUP

  • ¾ cup smoked tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, lightly toasted and ground or ½ tablespoon dry mustard
  • 2/3 tablespoon roasted garlic puree
  • ½ tablespoon Asian garlic chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt to taste
Recipe notes
Make your own duck confit for this recipe, or use our ready-to-eat duck leg confit to save time. Serve it on summery Southern succotash for a tasty dish.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. For the confit: Rub flesh side of legs with salt. Combine thyme leaves, garlic, shallots, black pepper, paprika, mustard seeds, cumin, and cayenne and rub on flesh, using all of the mixture. Pack legs, seasoned sides together, into a glass or plastic container, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours. .
  2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
  3. Remove legs from refrigerator, wipe off marinade, and blot dry. Melt duck fat in an oven-safe casserole large enough to hold sure they are covered by at least an inch of fat. Heat on stovetop over low heat until fat registers 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cover with foil and bake until legs can be easily pierced with a toothpick at the joint, 1 ½ to 2 hours. While duck legs are resting, make Smoked Tomato Ketchup. On serving day, or up to 2 days before, make Corn and Baby Butterbean Succotash.
  4. For the succotash: Heat duck fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bellpeppers and sauté until softened but still bright in color, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, red pepper flakes, cumin, and bay leaf, and cook 1 minute. Stir in molasses, lima beans, and chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook until beans are done but still firm. Stir in corn, cook for 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. If not using immediately, cool quickly over ice to avoid overcooking. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Recipe may be prepared up to 2 days ahead to this point.
  5. For the smoked tomato ketchup: Combine tomato puree, ketchup, vinegar, oil, mustard seeds, dissolved tamarind and water, garlic puree, garlic chili paste, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce in an electric blender and pulse until blended. Season with salt, scrape into a clean container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Keeps for up to 1 month in refrigerator.
  6. To serve, remove confit from refrigerator and place in a warm spot to melt fat. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of duck fat and the duck legs, skin side down. Adjust heat to medium-low, cover pan and cook until skin is crisp and deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Carefully remove cover so moisture does not fall into pan. Turn legs and cook flesh side 2 minutes longer.
  7. Spoon a mound of hot succotash into the center of each of the 4 plates. Top succotash with duck; drizzle with smoked tomato ketchup.