My local restaurant chain Wine Connection had been featuring duck confit salad in its menu lately, so I decided to recreate it at home. It has been ages since I had duck confit – my corner shop in London, Partridges, used to sell the most delicious confits ever. I love goose fat so any confit is good to me 🙂
To make the confit of duck:
From 2 ducks, cut into thighs and breasts, leaving skin intact (I flattened them slightly)
1Â jar goose fat
3 teaspoon juniper berries and 3 bay leaves, crumbled
3 bay leaves, crumbled
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Combine everything (EXCEPT GOOSE FAT) and refrigerate overnight, 2 days if possible.
Heat goose fat in a heavy grilled until it is very gently boiling but not actually bubbling away. Add the duck into this fat until slightly browned on the skin. Adjust heat if necessary to keep temperature consistent throughout cooking. Ensure that the duck is submerged into the fat. Cook in an oven heated to about 200 degrees until the fat is clear and a knife stuck into one of the legs slides out easily, about 3 hours.
Transfer the duck to several glass containers. Strain fat, discarding any solids and pour, still warm, over duck, making sure they are completely covered. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 weeks.
You can eat hot or cold, and disgusting as it may sound, I love the fat on hot toast.
To make the salad
Head of 1 lettuce
A handful of cherry tomatoes
1 cucumber, diced
1 apple, diced
1 cupful of sunflower sprouts
1 bunch of spring onion, chopped
To make the salad dressing
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp honey
2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed.
2 tsp balsamic vinegar.
2 tbsp cider vinegar.
6 tbsp sunflower oil.
zest from 1 lemon
Shake well in an old jar, pour over salad and duck.
The rich, gamey taste of duck goes really well with the crisp salad and heavy dressing.
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