confit |kôNˈfē|

noun

duck or other meat cooked slowly in its own fat.

ORIGIN French

We often define classic culinary techniques by the dishes we most commonly associate them with. The term “confit” is a perfect example of one such misconception.

When most of us hear “confit” we expect the word “duck” to follow it. Though Duck Confit is indeed the most common confit preparation, it is by no means the only one.

Confit refers to the method of cooking something in a braising-type manner in its own fat. The dish is allowed to cook very slowly so that the fat renders, thereby flavoring the meat. This process produces a very succulent and tender final dish.

The confit technique is successful when applied to a variety of meats.

Look beyond the duck, confit is its own wonder.

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

Happy Wednesday my butter-loving friends. This week has been an amalgam of sneezing, coughing and shoving vitamin C tablets down my throat. Winter colds are inevitable and give me an excuse to sit in my favorite chair and read for hours without feeling at all inclined to reply to emails or text messages.

This week I shared a recipe with you which used the braising method, so it seemed only appropriate to elaborate upon this term.

braise |brāz|

verb [ trans. ]

fry (food) lightly and then stew it slowly in a closed container : [as adj. ] ( braised)

The braising method is similar to the stewing concept. Braises employ larger cuts of meat and smaller amounts of liquid than traditional stews. The most important factor in both of these cooking techniques is temperature. The temperature must remain low enough as to not overcook the outer portion of the meat before the inner portion is cooked. As with all meats cooked in liquids, the meat should be allowed to cool in that liquid and served well below cooking temperatures. The meat tissue’s capacity to hold liquid increases as it cools and will reabsorb some of the liquid it lost during its cooking process. The braising method renders the meat very tender and provides rich, developed flavors.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie