Mix the duck legs with the coarse sea salt well and cover with a towel.
Refrigerate for 12 - 14 hours.
Remove the duck from the salt and wipe off the excess salt and salty juices
with a cloth. Take a pot that can easily hold the 12 duck legs and where
you have still about 15 cm space to the rim.
Pour in the duck fat, add the duck legs and all the other ingredients.
Place on low heat and leave to simmer very slowly for about 1 ½ hours
or longer, skimming the surface now and then. To know if the meat is cooked
take a wooden skewer and pierce it, it should go through like if you pierce
butter then it is cooked perfectly.
Remove the duck, strain the fat and pour back on top of the duck, leave
it to cool in the fat. Remove from the fat and leave the fat to settle
for about 2 hours, then ladle the pure fat on to the duck meat making
sure the fat runs in between them. You also have to make sure you don't
ladle any of the juices, which at this time should have separated to the
bottom of the fat, onto the duck as this will not keep. Keep the confit
in a cool place until the next day and then cover with grease proof paper
until you need it. It doesn't have to be refrigerated if you made sure
there is no juices.
To reheat you can remove the amount of legs needed and bake them in an
oven until hot or just reheat in some duck fat and finish off making it
crispy under a grill/broiler.
Here it is served on a Chinese herbal risotto and duck sauce.
I have seen and eaten many different styles
of confit over the years, but the best I have eaten is Pierre Koffmann's
at La Tante Claire. This is an offshoot of that recipe which Adam came
up with, by adding lemongrass, chili, kaffir lime leaf, ginger flower
and some coriander root to the classic it adds an intriguing subtle Asian
influence. You can serve this with noodles, rice, or whatever you like.
I love pairing it with a Chinese herbal risotto and the multitude of flavours
is absolutely astonishing.