A classic French dish from the Gascony region of southwestern France. Tender duck confit paired with herb-seasoned potatoes creates an authentic gastronomic experience rich in traditional flavors.
▶
Adapted from a video by Bruno Albouze
Duck Confit with Potato Sarladaise – Bruno Albouze
▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.
1
Prepare the duck legs by separating the knuckle joint using a cleaver or leaving them whole. Trim excess fat carefully without cutting into the meat. Save all trimmed fat for rendering.
2
Brine the duck legs by arranging them flesh-side up on a baking tray and generously seasoning with Celtic grey salt, fresh thyme, and crushed garlic. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
3
Rinse the brined duck legs thoroughly under cold water and pat dry when the brining time has passed.
4
Render the saved duck scraps to extract fat. Arrange the cleaned duck legs skin-side up in a pot and cover completely with melted duck fat.
5
Bring the pot to a boil, then place it in a 225°F (110°C) oven and cook on low heat for 3 hours.
6
Remove from the oven, uncover, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Transfer the legs to a baking tray lined with plastic wrap and a cooling rack, then refrigerate overnight until firm.
7
Strain the duck fat through a sieve and refrigerate. The fat will separate from the jus at the bottom, which is a concentrated collagen-rich essence. Use this jus for the sauce and freeze any leftovers.
8
Make a rich sauce by reducing chicken stock or demi-glace with water in a separate pan. Add carrots, leek, onion, garlic, orange peel, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper, simmering for about an hour.
9
In a separate saucepan, reduce Ruby port wine by two-thirds. Prepare the mushrooms and add the stems to the simmering sauce. After an hour, add the reduced port and mushrooms.
10
Add the reserved duck jus to the sauce and adjust seasoning. Make a slurry with port wine and cornstarch, add to the glaze, mix well, and bring to a boil. Just before serving, finish the sauce with chunks of butter.
11
Prepare potato Sarladaise by peeling Yukon Gold potatoes and cutting them into thick slices. Keep them in cold water until ready, then drain and pat dry. Fry the potatoes in duck fat rather than oil, seasoning with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and thyme. Cover and steam for 10 minutes.
12
Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms with a dash of duck fat, seasoning with salt, pepper, and herbs. After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the potatoes, flip them over, and continue cooking until golden brown.
13
Add persillade to both the mushrooms and potatoes. Persillade is a mixture of chopped parsley, minced shallots, and garlic.
14
Reheat the duck leg in simmering water for about 10 minutes just before serving. Sear the duck leg briefly with a dash of duck fat for added flavor.
15
Plate the potato Sarladaise and mushrooms, top with the reheated duck leg. Smooth the sauce with butter and serve over the dish.
PrimedTableBETA
