Sometimes trying replicate restaurant food isn’t easy because not all the ingredients are available in supermarkets. But things do change thus making certain dishes more realistic.
Several weeks I noticed that duck legs were starting to be sold in supermarkets, which makes this wonderful dish more practical. The name confit is of course French and means “to cook in its own juices” and traditionally was a way to cook & preserve the meat in fat before refrigerators were invented. The process involves cooking the meat submerged in the fat very slowly. The key to storing the meat successfully was the fat had to be pure (no water) and that all air pockets were removed so the fat could not go rancid.
If your unable to get goose or duck fat then use vegetable oil and increase slightly the amount of garlic & herbs and add half a knorr chicken bouillon cube. Cooking the confit earlier or even the day before makes this a very easy starter to serve and yet its a classic!

2 large duck legs
1.5 heads of garlic
2 Thyme sprigs
1 small sprig of rosemary
325 ml Goose fat or vegetable oil*
1 bag rocket leaves
1 dessert spoon oil olive
Cherry chutney
1 punnet cherries pitted
1 red onion finely diced
2 Tbsp honey
1 red apple finely diced
8 maraschino cherries drained & chopped
50 ml red wine
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
pinch of cinnamon
1 finely diced red chili

1. Season the legs on both sides well with salt and black pepper and refrigerate for 4 hours.
2. Make the chutney by combining all the ingredients except the fresh cherries in a non stick saucepan and simmer until the apple & onion are tender then add the cherries continuing to cook on a low heat until most on the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a sterile storage container and allow to cool.
3. In a thick bottomed saucepan add the goose fat and herbs & break the garlic down into cloves, but don’t bother peeling them. Then turn the heat on low.
4. Using a clean tea towel, wipe the duck legs dry then carefully put them into the fat as it heats up. Make sure the legs are completely covered and bring the fat up to a low simmer. The duck legs will take about 1.5 to 2 hours to cook, and should be very tender when done, be sure to test with a skewer. Allow to cool in the fat .

To Serve
Wash the rocket leaves, then drain well.
Heat the duck legs either in a hot oven 200 C for 10-12 minutes or better still in a hot dry non stick frying pan. keep turning the duck until it is brown and crispy (about 5-6 minutes).
Spoon the olive oil onto the rocket, toss & season. Divide the rocket between two plates.
Top with the duck confit & a couple of spoonfuls of the cold chutney. Or try using a bed of coriander leaves as shown in the photo.

Chef’s Tips
If I was cooking the confit professionally I would marinate the duck legs in a spiced salt for 24 hours. This draws moisture from the meat and helps preserve the meat longer.
If your using the confit within 24 hours freeze the fat in a plastic container so you can use it again. Remember to strain out the herbs and garlic first and label the container. When reusing you will need to simmer the fat for 30 minutes prior to use to evaporate any water content, then add fresh herbs & garlic. I suggest you use the fat a maximum of 3 times before making fresh.