INGREDIENTS
-3-4 legs or wings of ducks
-Salt-weigh the duck legs in grams, then weigh out 1.5 to 2 percent of that weight in salt; the higher percentage will give you a more traditional cure. Use sea salt or kosher salt. If you want to use the curing salt, mix in 0.25 percent of it, too.
-1 tablespoon dried thyme
-2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
-3 bay leaves
-1 cup goose, duck or pork fat
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a bowl mix the salt, thyme and black pepper together. Massage the mixture into the legs and wings. Vacuum seal or put into a sealed container and refrigerate overnight, or up to a few days.
- Prior to cooking, thoroughly rinse the legs and ensure they are completely dry. If you choose to vacuum seal them, arrange the legs in a single layer, avoiding any stacking. Place a portion of the fat at the bottom of each vacuum bag, evenly distributing it. Similarly, divide the bay leaves among the bags.
- Get a large stockpot mostly full of water and bring that to a bare simmer, a shimmy, really. Set the sealed vac bags in the water and cook at about 180° for at least 3 hours. The cooking time is about the same as the traditional method, which I do in an oven-proof pot in a 200° oven.
- Remove the bags from the water and plunge them into an ice water bath to cool. Remove them to a rack to dry, and when they’re dry on the outside, store them in the fridge for up to a month.
- To eat, you can shred the meat and use it that way, or eat whole and cold or crisp up the skin in any of the ways mentioned above. Serve with potatoes, carrots or any other vegetables.