Koji Duck Confit

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 1 day 4 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

4 duck legs (about 1kg) (see note)

1 cup (300g; 240ml) homemade shio koji (see note)

2 teaspoons (6g) whole black peppercorns

3 star anise pods

2 to 4 cups (475 to 950ml) rendered duck fat (see note)

Directions

The Day Before Cooking Confit

Combine duck legs, shio koji, peppercorns, and star anise in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Massage bag until duck legs are evenly coated on all sides with shio koji. Lay bag flat on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Do not cure legs longer than 24 hours, as they will over-cure, resulting in salty and dry confit.

When Ready to Cook

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 225°F (105°C). Melt duck fat, either in a 3-quart saucier over low heat, or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Remove duck legs from cure, wiping away as much of the cure mixture as possible before rinsing legs gently under cold water to remove all seasonings; discard cure. Pat duck legs dry with paper towels, then arrange in single layer in saucier with duck fat (if using), making sure they are completely submerged in fat. Alternatively, arrange duck legs snugly in a small baking dish and cover with melted duck fat, making sure legs are fully submerged in fat.

Cover saucier or baking dish with lid or aluminum foil, and transfer to oven. Cook until duck is completely tender and meat shows almost no resistance when pierced with a paring knife, and skin has begun to pull away from bottom of the drumstick, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Remove from oven and cool duck to room temperature in its cooking vessel, removing lid but keeping it submerged in fat. Once cool, cover container tightly and transfer to refrigerator, where confit can be stored for up to 1 month.

Notes

Serious Eats: This recipe will work with all breeds of duck, but was developed using Pekin (also known as Long Island), and Alina ducks.

We do not recommend using store-bought prepared shio koji for any recipe, as store-bought versions vary wildly in quality. They are often too sweet and are treated with alcohol to extend shelf life. Making your own shio koji is worth the effort.

WHY IT WORKS

Curing duck legs with funky shio koji imparts savory depth to the meat with a hint of sweetness, while also tenderizing it. Because of the salinity of the marinade, there is no need to season the duck with additional salt.

The sugars in the shio koji also help the duck skin achieve a burnished, deep golden brown color when crisped up for serving.

A gentle and slow cook in a low oven yields tender and silky duck confit.

Fully submerging legs in duck fat allows them to be stored for a long time after cooking, while also imparting the fat with extra flavor for subsequent cooking projects.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Makes 4 duck legs (servi
• Calories: 372 kcal
• Total Fat: 22 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 152 mg
• Sodium: 774 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 1 g
• Protein: 36 g