HCC 005| Duck Confit Part 2 - Finishing

What temperature did you roast the confit at and for how long?

Why do you think your oven heat was only 425 when you set it to 500? Does your oven need to be calibrated? 500F for 15 minutes should crisp the skin.

You can also try putting it under your broiler next time.

Yep, give that a try next time, I think you'll have better luck. Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.

Hi Jimmy,

Welcome to the website. You can check your local butcher's market or you can just order it through Amazon.

You can re-use the duck fat many times and if stored in the bucket will keep for months in your refrigerator. You can also freeze a portion to store it longer.

Did you use any curing salt?

It's possible Ruhlman is trying to error on the safe side (probably for legal reasons).

Confit can be eaten straight from the oven, but it gets better as it ages. I've aged duck confit for as long as 6 months, and it really just keeps getting better.

You should be good to go, especially with the nitrite. Just use your best judgment; if something doesn't smell or look right, cut your loses and toss it.

@ Holly,

I strain the fat to remove any particulate matter, but the gelatin from the protein is still dissolved at this point.

When the fat cools, the gelatin will fall to the bottom, at which point you can remove the fat and then harvest the gelatin.

If you leave the gelatin in the fat for multiple cooks, you'll build up a lot of water content, which will switch the technique from confit (slow cooking in fat) to braising (slow cooking in a water based liquid).

Hope this helps.

Fat can spoil, especially after you use it for cooking.

Why it's taking on a funky smell after a week though is new to me. In all my years of cooking confit, I've never had this happen.

Is the smell bad as in rotten or just funky?

Melted animal fat, especially duck and lamb but also chicken, can take on a funky, gamey smell. When you whisk the fat, you're aerating it, which just makes the fat easier to smell.

So if it smells gamey and funky but doesn't give you the "want to gag" reaction, then your fat is fine.

Yeah, you're fine. It's natural for your fat to smell a little funky.

Topic response in episode 2 of Stella Cast!

http://stellaculinary.com/podcast/audio/stella-cast-002-pink-salt-in-bri...