I know, you could just buy the duck fat, but what’s the fun in that?
Typically when I make duck I buy a whole duck. Whether I’m making duck breasts or legs does not matter. I can use what I want and pre-season, vacuum seal and freeze what I wont use immediately. Plus, I can use the duck skin to render all it’s fat. And that, is the best part!
You can save the fat in the fridge for months without it going bad. You can also use the fat for so many more applications than just duck confit, like duck fat fries for example.
Making your own duck fat is easy. Just follow these simple instructions.
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 rosemary sprigs
- 3 or 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Duck caucus (once the legs, breasts and wings have been removed)
Directions
Using a small carving knife, skin the duck caucus. Make sure to get all the skin out. If you get some of the duck meat it’s OK, it will only add more flavor.
Place all the skin in a slow cooker container. I usually add the wings as well since these are rarely cooked. I also add any excess skin that I can trim from the legs and the breasts.
Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs along with the garlic cloves (peeled and mashed). Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 4 to 5 hours.
When the wings are falling off the bone and all the skin has rendered, drain all the fat. I like to distribute it into 8 ounce mason jars. This makes it easy to use or freeze and only use as needed.
