Michel Roux Jnr's Confit Duck with Saute Potatoes.

I bought this book about a year ago now and there are some lovely recipes in it , however, as stated before , I rather like a photo especially for me if I think that it could be a complicated recipe. This one had a super photo so I was instantly attracted to it!

This is the recipe cut and pasted from the book for those who need the real thing.......

Serves 8

Cooking time: 5½hours

Ingredients

1 Canard Gras (a duck reared for foie gras. It will weigh about 6kg and may seem expensive but inside it has a whole foie gras. If you cannot find one, then I suggest eight large duck legs, or two normal ducks, prepared accordng to the method.)

1kg good quality coarse sea salt

1 sprig sage

1 sprig thyme

Sauté potatoes

1kg potatoes (Amandine, Belle de Fontenay or similar), boiled in their skins and cooled

1kg duck or goose fat

Pinch of salt

Pepper, to taste

3 garlic cloves

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

If using a canard gras remove the legs and breasts, trimming off any excess fat. Chop off the head and discard (if a canard gras). Remove the skin from the neck and add to the fat, and put the neck (if you are using a canard gras) with the meat. Take out the foie gras, wrap in cling film and refrigerate to use for another recipe. Add the heart and gizzard, cut in half and washed. Trim all the skin and fat off the carcass. Put all the fat in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer to render. This usually takes about an hour – the water should have evaporated and the fat clear. Pour the fat through a fine conical sieve without pressing. Liberally sprinkle the meat with the sea salt and chill for 90 minutes. Wipe off all the salt and moisture with a cloth and put the meat into the warm fat with the sage, pepper and thyme. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover with a greaseproof paper and cook for about 2 hours until tender. Cool in the fat, then chill. It will keep for several weeks if required.

When you want to serve the duck confit, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Place the meat in a non-stick pan and cook over medium heat until golden. Put into the hot oven for 10–15 minutes, and when cooked, remove.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes when cool. Cut into 5mm slices and pan-fry in the duck fat. Season and sprinkle with garlic and parsley.

And this is my take on it....not a million miles apart but tasted wonderful ( if I say so myself ).

Serves 4

4 Large duck breasts

1 Sprig sage

1 Sprig Thyme

Sea salt

Enough vegetable oil to cover duck in a large heatproof pan.

750gms Waxy new potatoes, sliced, boiled and cooled

3 Cloves garlic crushed

Handful of flat leaf parsley chopped

Place duck in a large heatproof pan, pop in sage and thyme and cover with vegetable oil. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a greaseproof cartouche  and leave to bubble really gently for 2 hours turning duck over halfway through.

After 2 hours simply place the pan -  with the duck still inside - somewhere cool. I placed mine on the picnic table outside ( really cold day ). I had to keep an eye on my hungry cat of course but it cooled nicely.

Once cool, drain from the fat and pan fry in a little of the oil to a nice golden colour and then place in a pre-heated oven 180 deg/Gas 4 for about 15 minutes to cook.

In the mean time fry the potatoes and garlic in a little of the ducky oil until a nice golden colour, stir in the parsley and serve while piping hot. 

Ok, it's not so fabulous as Michel's but it was far cheaper and everyone loved it. While I love classic recipes, it is quite hard to find some ingredients in a small town so you have to improvise. I served this with green beans and vichy carrotts and judging by the comments I'll be making it again.

Debs