Name: Duck confit with pan-fried kipflers and pear and watercress salad
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 x 2kg ducks; 1 tablespoon coarse cooking salt; 2 clove garlic, sliced thinly; 1 dried bay leaf, crumbled; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 teaspoon black peppercorns; 2 cup (500ml) olive oil, approximately; 750 gram kipfler potatoes, halved lengthways; 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard; 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon white sugar; 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil; 350 gram watercress, trimmed; 1 pear (330g), sliced thinly

Duck confit with pan-fried kipflers and pear and watercress salad

An exquisite duck confit with pan-fried kipflers and pear and watercress salad for special occasions. The simple and centuries old process of cooking duck in this way has changed very little.

Serves 6

Cook

Ingredients

2 x 2kg ducks

1 tablespoon coarse cooking salt

2 clove garlic, sliced thinly

1 dried bay leaf, crumbled

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 cup (500ml) olive oil, approximately

750 gram kipfler potatoes, halved lengthways

1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil

350 gram watercress, trimmed

1 pear (330g), sliced thinly

Method

Using sharp knife, cut marylands and breasts off ducks. Remove as much fat as possible from carcasses; reserve. Discard wings and carcasses.

Combine duck pieces, salt, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns in medium bowl; cover, refrigerate until required.

Meanwhile, place reserved fat in large saucepan; cook, uncovered, over low heat, about 1 hour or until fat has melted. Strain mixture through fine sieve into large bowl; discard solids (you will have approximately 2 cups of duck fat).

Preheat oven to slow (150°C/120°C fan-forced).

Rinse duck pieces under cold water; pat dry with absorbent paper. Place duck pieces, in single layer, in large baking dish. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat; pour remaining fat over duck. Top up with olive oil, making sure duck is completely submerged. Cook, uncovered, in oven 2 hours.

Boil, steam or microwave potato until tender; drain. Heat reserved fat in large frying pan; cook potato, in batches, until browned. Cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make pear and watercress salad. Place mustard, vinegar, sugar and oil in screw-top jar; shake well. Place watercress, pear and dressing in large bowl; toss gently to combine.

Place duck in same large frying pan; cook, skin-side down, until skin is crisp.

Serve duck with potato and salad.

Duck carcasses and wings can be used to make stock. Cooked duck can be stored up to 1 month, completely covered in fat, in tightly sealed glass container, in the refrigerator. To reheat duck, remove from fat, wrap in foil and place in very slow oven (120°C/100°C fan-forced) for about 30 minutes.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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