This is only the second time I’ve made duck confit. The first time I used a crock pot. This time I discovered making duck confit in the oven is more optimal if you have the luxury of baking in the oven for 3 hours.

What is Duck Confit?

Confit is French for preserve. When we refer to anything “confit” we refer to food salted and cooked in its own fat using a technique that was originally meant to preserve meat.

This cooking technique goes back at least five centuries as hunters and cooks would salt the meat, cook and preserve in its own fat. Stored in a cool place, the meat could be preserved for months.

We no longer need to worry about preserving meat for months, but the technique is still used, especially with duck legs which require a long cooking time. Other meats that you can confit include goose, pork belly, turkey, brisket. Sometimes you will see even vegetables confit or another favorite, garlic confit, (baked in olive oil).

Baked Vs. Slow Cooker

Now that I’ve made baked duck confit and the slow cooker method, I prefer baked. When the duck is baking even at a very low temperature, the skin browns a little. The slow cooker method is great if you’re wanting the meat for pasta or tacos, but it’s harder to keep the legs from falling apart.

Best Process for Oven Baked Duck Confit

• Step 1 – Salt duck legs. Prepare herb mixture and marinate duck overnight.
• Step 2 – Arrange duck legs in roasting pan. If using duck fat, heat and pour over duck legs. They should be fully covered. You can use olive oil if you don’t have duck fat and will not need to heat.
• Cover with foil. Bake at 190 degrees F. for 3 hours. Remove foil for last hour.
• Step 3. Heat a cast iron pan to high heat. Brown the duck legs skin side down to get a very crispy skin. I cover with parchment and place a heavy pot for about a minute. You could also cover a brick with foil. The point is to press down the duck legs to ensure crispy skin.
• Serve with prepared white beans, side of fingerling potatoes and a simple salad with vinaigrette to cut through the richness.

Garlic Rosemary White Beans

Beans are a great accompaniment to duck confit. Cannellini beans are especially creamy and serve as a great foundation to the dish, but you can use any kind of canned white beans.

• Plan on three to four cans of beans to four duck legs.
• Rinse beans under cold water, removing excess sodium. Drain well. Dry with paper towels.
• Heat olive oil and sliced garlic in frying pan.
• Add beans to olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
• Top beans with chopped rosemary.
• Top with more olive oil if needed before serving.
• Serve duck over a bed of beans.

What to Serve with Duck Confit

A simple salad with a lemon thyme vinaigrette is a perfect side for such a rich dish.

• Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

Favorite Baking Tools for this Recipe

• Oxo Baking Dish with Lid (My favorite as it’s great for storing)
• Tongs for Turning the Duck Legs
• Mezzaluna My Favorite tool for chopping herbs

More Recipes

• Stovetop Chicken Thighs with White Wine
• Chicken White Bean Soup
• Duck Confit with Lentils in Slow Cooker

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Oven Baked Duck Confit with Garlic Rosemary White Beans

How to Make Duck Confit in the Oven with Rosemary White Beans

Course Entree

Cuisine French

Keyword duck, Duck confit, duck legs

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Marinating Time 12 hours hours

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Duck Legs

• 4 duck legs with thigh
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots sliced
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme thyme, sage, rosemary
• 1 cup duck fat See Notes for Substitute
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley for ending garnish

Garlic Rosemary White Beans

• 3 cans white beans see notes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 squeeze lemon
• dash red chili flakes
• 2 rosemary

Instructions

Duck Legs

• Marinate Legs in fresh herbs, salt, pepper, overnight. Rub garlic onto the meatiest part of the legs.
• If using duck fat, gently heat before pouring over duck. If using olive oil, no need to heat.
• Rinse off under cold water. Use large baking dish for oven. Don't overlap and make sure you fully submerge in fat.
• Oven Bake: 290 degrees F. for 3 hours, prior to taking out of the fat and crisping.
• Crisping Duck: FRY METHOD: You can transfer skin-side down to frying pan to crisp skin. You can place something over to press duck into frying pan. I take parchment and then place heavy pot over the duck to ensure a crispy skin. BROIL METHOD: You can place duck skin side up under the broiler.
• Save the fat. You will now have some duck fat. Drain and freeze.
• Freeze: You can freeze the duck confit in the fat prior to crisping skin for up to three months. Defrost and then follow instructions for crisping.
• Rosemary Garlic White Beans
• Rinse canned beans and drain well. Dry with paper towels to get most of water off.
• Slice garlic thinly and cook in olive oil until golden. Add beans. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes. Hit with squeeze of lemon.
• Add chopped rosemary and stir.
• Serve crispy duck over white beans.

Notes

Herbs: Use fresh thyme and Bay Leaf for Duck. Add in some sage if you have it. 

Fat: Duck fat is expensive. You can use a light olive oil or avocado oil in its place. I  also used a little broth in the crock pot. 

Lentils:  Use French Lentils or Brown Lentils. 

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