Thread: Confit Help - thanks!

sf wrote:

> Many thanks to Theron and Reg! The confit is done. As I said
> previously, I skinned the legs and rendered the fat from that. Oh,
> those crackin's are good! I got quite a bit of fat, but not enough to
> cover the legs so I put a cover on the dish and turned the legs a
> couple of times to keep them moistened. It seemed to work! I will
> keep that fat for another time, because it's a precious commodity.
>
> In the future I will buy a whole duck and take off the breasts
> (boneless) to sear for one meal and make confit of the leg joints and
> make stock with the carcass. I love confit, so I don't need the
> excuse of making cassoulet - which was my purpose this time. As Reg
> suggested, I will definitely use the bones to make duck stock for the
> cassoulet but I tell ya, home made chicken stock makes for a rockin'
> cassoulet.
>
> Thanks everyone!
>

Sounds great, glad it worked out.

If you like the confit thing, take a look into
rillette. It's a another nice use for confit.

<http://www.reeniesrecipes.com/view.php?recipe_id=90>

On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:41:06 -0700, RegForte <[email protected]> wrote:

>If you like the confit thing, take a look into
>rillette. It's a another nice use for confit.
>
><http://www.reeniesrecipes.com/view.php?recipe_id=90>

Thanks for the recipe, I'll save it for another time (when I need a
new way to deal with confit, as if ever that will ever happen - LOL).
I've noticed rillette mentioned here or some other place online lately
but I don't remember it being duck (it might have been pork)... it's
time for me to explore this subject a little more.

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
>
> Many thanks to Theron and Reg! The confit is done. As I said
> previously, I skinned the legs and rendered the fat from that. Oh,
> those crackin's are good! I got quite a bit of fat, but not enough to
> cover the legs so I put a cover on the dish and turned the legs a
> couple of times to keep them moistened. It seemed to work! I will
> keep that fat for another time, because it's a precious commodity.
>
> In the future I will buy a whole duck and take off the breasts
> (boneless) to sear for one meal and make confit of the leg joints and
> make stock with the carcass. I love confit, so I don't need the
> excuse of making cassoulet - which was my purpose this time. As Reg
> suggested, I will definitely use the bones to make duck stock for the
> cassoulet but I tell ya, home made chicken stock makes for a rockin'
> cassoulet.
>
> Thanks everyone!
>
> sf
>
> I've made cassoulet in the past, but after that thread about Toulouse
> sausages, confit and cassoulet, I wanted to try making confit for my
> cassoulet. I've used duck in the past but never confit, just duck
> parts... and small white beans, not cannellini beans. This one won't
> be perfectly authentic, I have the cannellini beans (whoa, expensive)
> but no Toulouse sausage so I'm slowly creeping up on the real thing.
>
> Theron, would you please expand on why the leg joints should not be
> skinned? I didn't notice that the meat dried out the way I did it.
>
>
I'm glad this worked for you. This kind of back and forth dialogue is fun,
and it makes you rethink what you did. I think skinning is optional, though
leaving the skin on is what's usual in cassoulet. Here is the site to get
duck fat, if you have an interest. Polarica is well worth a visit anyway.
http://polaricausa.com/home.html

Ed

On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:26:57 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I'm glad this worked for you. This kind of back and forth dialogue is fun,
>and it makes you rethink what you did. I think skinning is optional, though
>leaving the skin on is what's usual in cassoulet.

I will continue to skin it (the taste was great), mainly because of
hubby's health issues.

>Here is the site to get
>duck fat, if you have an interest. Polarica is well worth a visit anyway.
>http://polaricausa.com/home.html

Thanks, at one time I knew that we had at least one place here in the
City that sold game (mainly to restaurants the last time I was aware
of it) but I don't eat game, so I lost track of it.

If I could buy just one pound of duck fat, even for a slightly higher
price - I'd be there tomorrow... but they only list 8lb tubs. I'm
definitely going there anyway very soon because I can buy duck breasts
- maybe tomorrow! LOL! I may end up just buying a whole bird and
butchering it since (was it) Reg says I need duck stock for that
cassoulet I plan to make.

Thanks for the heads up!

sf

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:26:57 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>I'm glad this worked for you. This kind of back and forth dialogue is fun,
>>and it makes you rethink what you did. I think skinning is optional,
>>though
>>leaving the skin on is what's usual in cassoulet.
>
> I will continue to skin it (the taste was great), mainly because of
> hubby's health issues.
>
>>Here is the site to get
>>duck fat, if you have an interest. Polarica is well worth a visit anyway.
>>http://polaricausa.com/home.html
>
> Thanks, at one time I knew that we had at least one place here in the
> City that sold game (mainly to restaurants the last time I was aware
> of it) but I don't eat game, so I lost track of it.
>
> If I could buy just one pound of duck fat, even for a slightly higher
> price - I'd be there tomorrow... but they only list 8lb tubs. I'm
> definitely going there anyway very soon because I can buy duck breasts
> - maybe tomorrow! LOL! I may end up just buying a whole bird and
> butchering it since (was it) Reg says I need duck stock for that
> cassoulet I plan to make.
>
> Thanks for the heads up!
>
> sf
>
BTW, if you do any curing they have Morton's Tenderquick and their own
brand of curing salt. As I recall they have smaller quantity items in the
store itself. Even though it is a restaurant supply house I've always found
them friendly and helpful. I'm a stock junkie. Put the whole duck carcass
with an onion in the oven at 300F for an hour or until it browns, and then
proceed with your duck stock. It does, I think, raise the dish to new
heights. As well you've a foundation to make sauce for duck breast, next
time around. I have an old fashion chest freezer in the garage that's filled
with stock.

Ed

On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 01:40:31 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
wrote:


I'm a stock junkie.

I have an old fashion chest freezer in the garage that's filled
>with stock.
>
>Ed

I think I could be a stock junkie myself. I have chicken stock, and
veal stock in the freezer right now. ... I used to have a very rich
beef stock as well, until I used it for something. I don't have a
whole freezer full though, as I just don't have the room, and don't
expect to be here that much longer.

One of the first things I do, whenever I move to a new place, is make
stock. Chicken stock certainly. And when I get back to the bay area,
I will make veal stock again, as soon as I locate myself a veal
breast. Either that, or I will transport the breast and knuckle I
have in the freezer up there and make stock again.

Duck stock sounds good: I will have to add that to my collection when
I get back to the bay area.

And maybe I will make some fish stock to have on hand...

And vegetable stock...

Christine

--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com

On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 01:40:31 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]. .
>> On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:26:57 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>I'm glad this worked for you. This kind of back and forth dialogue is fun,
>>>and it makes you rethink what you did. I think skinning is optional,
>>>though
>>>leaving the skin on is what's usual in cassoulet.
>>
>> I will continue to skin it (the taste was great), mainly because of
>> hubby's health issues.
>>
>>>Here is the site to get
>>>duck fat, if you have an interest. Polarica is well worth a visit anyway.
>>>http://polaricausa.com/home.html
>>
>> Thanks, at one time I knew that we had at least one place here in the
>> City that sold game (mainly to restaurants the last time I was aware
>> of it) but I don't eat game, so I lost track of it.
>>
>> If I could buy just one pound of duck fat, even for a slightly higher
>> price - I'd be there tomorrow... but they only list 8lb tubs. I'm
>> definitely going there anyway very soon because I can buy duck breasts
>> - maybe tomorrow! LOL! I may end up just buying a whole bird and
>> butchering it since (was it) Reg says I need duck stock for that
>> cassoulet I plan to make.
>>
>> Thanks for the heads up!
>>
>> sf
>>
> BTW, if you do any curing they have Morton's Tenderquick and their own
>brand of curing salt. As I recall they have smaller quantity items in the
>store itself. Even though it is a restaurant supply house I've always found
>them friendly and helpful. I'm a stock junkie. Put the whole duck carcass
>with an onion in the oven at 300F for an hour or until it browns, and then
>proceed with your duck stock. It does, I think, raise the dish to new
>heights. As well you've a foundation to make sauce for duck breast, next
>time around. I have an old fashion chest freezer in the garage that's filled
>with stock.
>
I'm working with just my refrigerator freezer these days. We didn't
replace the upright freezer after it died of old age.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 01:40:31 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected] ..
>>> On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:26:57 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm glad this worked for you. This kind of back and forth dialogue is
>>>>fun,
>>>>and it makes you rethink what you did. I think skinning is optional,
>>>>though
>>>>leaving the skin on is what's usual in cassoulet.
>>>
>>> I will continue to skin it (the taste was great), mainly because of
>>> hubby's health issues.
>>>
>>>>Here is the site to get
>>>>duck fat, if you have an interest. Polarica is well worth a visit
>>>>anyway.
>>>>http://polaricausa.com/home.html
>>>
>>> Thanks, at one time I knew that we had at least one place here in the
>>> City that sold game (mainly to restaurants the last time I was aware
>>> of it) but I don't eat game, so I lost track of it.
>>>
>>> If I could buy just one pound of duck fat, even for a slightly higher
>>> price - I'd be there tomorrow... but they only list 8lb tubs. I'm
>>> definitely going there anyway very soon because I can buy duck breasts
>>> - maybe tomorrow! LOL! I may end up just buying a whole bird and
>>> butchering it since (was it) Reg says I need duck stock for that
>>> cassoulet I plan to make.
>>>
>>> Thanks for the heads up!
>>>
>>> sf
>>>
>> BTW, if you do any curing they have Morton's Tenderquick and their own
>>brand of curing salt. As I recall they have smaller quantity items in the
>>store itself. Even though it is a restaurant supply house I've always
>>found
>>them friendly and helpful. I'm a stock junkie. Put the whole duck carcass
>>with an onion in the oven at 300F for an hour or until it browns, and then
>>proceed with your duck stock. It does, I think, raise the dish to new
>>heights. As well you've a foundation to make sauce for duck breast, next
>>time around. I have an old fashion chest freezer in the garage that's
>>filled
>>with stock.
>>
> I'm working with just my refrigerator freezer these days. We didn't
> replace the upright freezer after it died of old age.
>
>
Sears has non frost free chest freezers for very low prices. Consider it you
have garage space. Frost free, for storage is preferred because the water
content of what you're freezing stays constant, rather than evaporating in
the frost free freezer, so it freezes more effectively. Chest is also better
because you dont' lose the freeze when you open the lid as much as with a
conventional freezer. We've had ours for at least twenty years. I wouldn't
want to be without it.

Ed

"Christine Dabney" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 01:40:31 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
> I'm a stock junkie.
>
> I have an old fashion chest freezer in the garage that's filled
>>with stock.
>>
>>Ed
>
> I think I could be a stock junkie myself. I have chicken stock, and
> veal stock in the freezer right now. ... I used to have a very rich
> beef stock as well, until I used it for something. I don't have a
> whole freezer full though, as I just don't have the room, and don't
> expect to be here that much longer.
>
> One of the first things I do, whenever I move to a new place, is make
> stock. Chicken stock certainly. And when I get back to the bay area,
> I will make veal stock again, as soon as I locate myself a veal
> breast. Either that, or I will transport the breast and knuckle I
> have in the freezer up there and make stock again.
>
> Duck stock sounds good: I will have to add that to my collection when
> I get back to the bay area.
>
> And maybe I will make some fish stock to have on hand...
>
> And vegetable stock...
>
> Christine
>
>
In the Bay Area every part of the cow now costs money, so it's expensive to
make beef stock. I used to get 30lb or so free at one of those old fashioned
Italian markts in North Beach. Veal trimmings are still free and as you know
veal stock is very rich. I usually combine some beef and veal stock if I"m
making a sauce to cover a steak. Fish stock is easy but you have to hunt
down the fish heads and skeleton. I've had some luck at our local Chinese
supermarket[Ranch 99.com]. We love fish stew.

Ed

Theron wrote:


> In the Bay Area every part of the cow now costs money, so it's expensive to
> make beef stock. I used to get 30lb or so free at one of those old fashioned
> Italian markts in North Beach. Veal trimmings are still free and as you know
> veal stock is very rich. I usually combine some beef and veal stock if I"m
> making a sauce to cover a steak. Fish stock is easy but you have to hunt
> down the fish heads and skeleton. I've had some luck at our local Chinese
> supermarket[Ranch 99.com]. We love fish stew.

Ed,

Painfully true about beef stock. I can't live without it.
The cheapest route I've found is to buy cases of frozen beef
bones at Restaurant Depot. Not the same as the freebee
old days but at least you don't have to go without.

On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 09:59:34 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Veal trimmings are still free and as you know veal stock is very rich.

Where do you get your veal trimmings? I'd be satisfied with a bone.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:03:49 -0700, RegForte <[email protected]> wrote:

>The cheapest route I've found is to buy cases of frozen beef
>bones at Restaurant Depot.

I don't have a resale license, so that one is out.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 09:49:53 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Sears has non frost free chest freezers for very low prices. Consider it you
>have garage space. Frost free, for storage is preferred because the water
>content of what you're freezing stays constant, rather than evaporating in
>the frost free freezer, so it freezes more effectively. Chest is also better
>because you dont' lose the freeze when you open the lid as much as with a
>conventional freezer. We've had ours for at least twenty years. I wouldn't
>want to be without it.

I was brought up with chest freezers - mom had two even at the end of
her life. I just don't like them. My upright was not frost free. If
I ever get another, it will be upright and frost free. I hate chest
freezers and the defrosting process. So far, I'm "living" without a
big freezer.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"Theron" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:h88mbk$of7$[email protected]..
>
> "sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
>> On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 01:40:31 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected] ...
>>>> On Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:26:57 -0700, "Theron" <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I'm glad this worked for you. This kind of back and forth dialogue is
>>>>>fun,
>>>>>and it makes you rethink what you did. I think skinning is optional,
>>>>>though
>>>>>leaving the skin on is what's usual in cassoulet.
>>>>
>>>> I will continue to skin it (the taste was great), mainly because of
>>>> hubby's health issues.
>>>>
>>>>>Here is the site to get
>>>>>duck fat, if you have an interest. Polarica is well worth a visit
>>>>>anyway.
>>>>>http://polaricausa.com/home.html
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, at one time I knew that we had at least one place here in the
>>>> City that sold game (mainly to restaurants the last time I was aware
>>>> of it) but I don't eat game, so I lost track of it.
>>>>
>>>> If I could buy just one pound of duck fat, even for a slightly higher
>>>> price - I'd be there tomorrow... but they only list 8lb tubs. I'm
>>>> definitely going there anyway very soon because I can buy duck breasts
>>>> - maybe tomorrow! LOL! I may end up just buying a whole bird and
>>>> butchering it since (was it) Reg says I need duck stock for that
>>>> cassoulet I plan to make.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the heads up!
>>>>
>>>> sf
>>>>
>>> BTW, if you do any curing they have Morton's Tenderquick and their own
>>>brand of curing salt. As I recall they have smaller quantity items in the
>>>store itself. Even though it is a restaurant supply house I've always
>>>found
>>>them friendly and helpful. I'm a stock junkie. Put the whole duck carcass
>>>with an onion in the oven at 300F for an hour or until it browns, and
>>>then
>>>proceed with your duck stock. It does, I think, raise the dish to new
>>>heights. As well you've a foundation to make sauce for duck breast, next
>>>time around. I have an old fashion chest freezer in the garage that's
>>>filled
>>>with stock.
>>>
>> I'm working with just my refrigerator freezer these days. We didn't
>> replace the upright freezer after it died of old age.
>>
>>
> Sears has non frost free chest freezers for very low prices. Consider it
> you have garage space. Frost free, for storage is preferred because the
> water content of what you're freezing stays constant, rather than
> evaporating in the frost free freezer, so it freezes more effectively.
> Chest is also better because you dont' lose the freeze when you open the
> lid as much as with a conventional freezer. We've had ours for at least
> twenty years. I wouldn't want to be without it.
>
> Ed
>
>
Sorry, I meant a non frost free freezer is preferred. I think more clearly
at 3AM

Ed