Duck confit is a favorite in our house.  It’s usually Howard’s job to make it.  Duck confit is one of the first of his sous-vide projects that he perfected.  As ridiculous as it sounds, homemade duck confit, stashed in the freezer, is often “emergency food” (i.e. what’s for dinner when you don’t think there’s any food).  Just thaw a pair of legs, whip up a pot of lentils plus a green vegetable or a salad, and a spectacular dinner is on the table in no time.

Me, I’m more low-tech.  No water-immersion circulators for me.  I was excited to try out Counterfeit Duck Confit from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen for Cook the Book Fridays.

This recipe couldn’t have been simpler.  First, you use a needle to prick through the fat of the duck legs.  Then rub the duck legs with an aromatic mixture of gin, allspice, nutmeg, and salt and allowed to sit overnight on top of a couple of bay leaves and halved garlic cloves.  The next day, wipe down the duck legs and then slow roast them in a low oven, no added fat.  As the duck cooks, the fat starts to fill the baking dish, submerging the legs.  Finally, the duck legs crisp up when the oven temperature is raised for the last bit of cooking.

I didn’t pick the right baking dish.  David wants the legs to be snug.  I had one pan where the legs fit snugly, but not really in one layer.  In the next bigger pan, the legs had more room, not what I’d call snug.  I opted for the smaller dish, but I think that was a mistake.  The parts of the legs that were immersed in the fat melted off the bone.  The other parts were tasty, but just not as tender.  I think the trick is for all the legs to lie flat so they all can bathe in the duck fat, but with minimal extra room so that fat is as deep as possible.

The duck was also a little salty.  I wiped the rub off before cooking.   Howard thinks I should have rinse the legs as he does.

Despite being a little salty, the “fake” duck legs were delicious.  In a throw down, I suspect Howard’s version would win.  However, I like knowing I can make an excellent low-tech rendition on my own without investing in gobs of the requisite duck fat.

Speaking of duck fat, the rendered fat was the most beautiful golden color and perfectly clear.   I’ve saved it for pan-frying or roasting potatoes.

Coincidentally, I went to a book signing for David Lebovitz’s new book L’Appart.  It was held at a location of Flour, one of my favorite local bakeries for sweets.  The line was long, but there were snacks – delicious Flour pastries.  There was a crowd, so I only spent a minute or so with David.  He signed his new book for me as well as my copy of My Paris Kitchen.  He was very charming and down to earth.  When I told him that I was cooking through My Paris Kitchen with a group of friends, he smiled and said, “I did that too”.  Of course, I forgot to ask someone to take a picture…

I also met Joanne Chang, owner of Flour.  Her newest cookbook is savory not sweet, recipes from Myers+Chang, the Boston restaurant she owns with her husband.  Being more of a cook than a baker, I added this book to my collection and was able to have her sign my book.  Again, no picture.

The counterfeit duck confit is worth a try.  You can find the recipe on page 179 of David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen.  Check out my friends’ reviews of this recipe here.