Confit: slow cooking in fat
Confit means cooking food slowly while it's covered in fat, traditionally duck legs in duck fat. The fat stays well below frying temperature, around 90°C (195°F). At that heat collagen slowly turns to gelatin, and tough legs come out fall-off-the-bone tender.
Salt first, then submerge
Traditional confit starts with a day-long salt rub, which seasons and firms the meat. The meat then cooks in enough fat to cover it, at low heat in the oven. Afterward you can crisp the skin in a hot pan. Keep leftovers refrigerated under their fat.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why does confit come out tender instead of fried?
The fat stays far below frying heat. Gentle heat softens the meat without tightening it hard.
True or false: Confit cooks meat in fat at a temperature well below frying heat.
True. Around 90°C (195°F) is gentle enough to soften collagen without drying the meat.
What went wrong? You confit duck legs in a 200°C (400°F) oven for just over an hour. The meat comes out stringy and dry.
The fat was too hot and dried the protein. High heat tightened the fibers and wrung out moisture.
Fill the blank: In confit, slow low heat turns tough collagen into ___.
In confit, slow low heat turns tough collagen into gelatin. Collagen softens into gelatin, which makes meat tender.
Which cut suits confit best?
Duck leg, tough and rich in collagen. Collagen turns to gelatin, so the leg turns silky.