Anti Inflammatory Duck Confit with Crispy Skin
Duck confit is one of those dishes that feels almost impossibly luxurious, and the slow-rendered fat, fragrant garlic, and fresh thyme make every bite deeply savory and satisfying. The low-and-slow cooking method — a long, gentle bath in duck fat at 225°F — is actually one of the reasons this recipe works so well from an anti-inflammatory standpoint. Duck fat is rich in oleic acid, the same monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, making it a far more supportive cooking medium than refined seed oils or heavily processed fats. The cure is nothing but salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic — clean, whole ingredients with no hidden additives or inflammatory fillers to worry about. That overnight rest in aromatics does real flavor work, so by the time the legs hit the oven, you're already halfway to something extraordinary. The final step — pressing the skin into a screaming-hot dry skillet — is what delivers that shatteringly crisp finish without a drop of extra fat. A pinch of flaky sea salt at the end is all it needs, and honestly, all it deserves.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the cure
- 4 duck legs (about 3 lb total)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
For the confit
- 3 cups duck fat (or enough to fully submerge the legs)
For serving
- flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- 1
Pat the duck legs completely dry with paper towels. Rub each leg all over with the kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Arrange them in a single layer in a baking dish and tuck the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and smashed garlic cloves around and under them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- 2
Remove the duck legs from the refrigerator and brush off any excess salt and aromatics. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C).
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