Chicken Leg Confit
This chicken confit utilizes our favorite piece, the thigh. You can of course substitute your favorite part of the bird when making this deeply flavored chicken dish at home. We like to keep any extra seasoned fat in the refrigerator—we use it like bacon fat, sautéing vegetables, potatoes, fish, and anything else we happen to be cooking. The thighs pair nicely with Green Beans Amandine (page 203) for a lighter meal, as a replacement for the duck in a classic confit salad, or with roasted potatoes and bitter greens for a hearty winter supper. It’s a versatile preparation whose do-ahead nature makes it easy to put together a great meal in a hurry.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the onion, parsley, lime pickles, and salt in a blender. Puree until completely pulverized. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the chicken thighs. Mix the chicken in the paste and then put everything in a zip-top bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Step 2
Preheat a circulating water bath or a large pot of water to 150°F (65.5°C).
Step 3
Remove the thighs from the refrigerator and place them, along with any paste that sticks to them, in a vacuum-seal bag. Add the bacon and duck fat to the bag and seal it shut. Alternatively, put the thighs in a zip-top bag, removing any excess air. (You may wish to double the bag to prevent any leaking.) Cook the chicken in the water bath for 2 hours. Set up an ice bath and transfer the bags to the bath to cool quickly. Refrigerate when completely cool. The chicken will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Step 4
Preheat a circulating water bath or a large pot of water to 150°F (65°C).
Step 5
Put the bag of chicken in the water bath and warm for 15 to 20 minutes. Open the bag and remove the chicken, wiping off any residual herb paste sticking to the meat. Strain the fat left in the bag through a fine-mesh conical strainer and set aside.
Step 6
Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and pour a thin layer of the flavored fat into the pan. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for about 5 minutes until the skin becomes crisp. Serve immediately.
