Confit duck leg with pistachio

1 + 1 liter	water
80 grams	nitrite salt
1	cinnamon stick
3	cardamom seeds
3	cloves
1	orange
6	duck legs
	Duck fat or goose fat
	Pistachio nuts

Pour a liter of water into a saucepan and also add the nitrite salt, the cinnamon stick, the cardamom seeds, the cloves and the peel from the orange. Now bring this to a boil. Once it’s boiling turn off the heat and add 1 liter of cold water. Then pour it into a big container and let it cool down for 30 minutes. After that add the duck legs and submerge them completely. Now let it brine for 24 hours in your fridge. The next day you can take them out of the brine and transfer them into a pan. Now submerge the legs completely with melted duck fat or goose fat and heat up the fat till it’s 90 degrees Celsius. Then remove the thermometer and place the pan into an oven at 90 degrees Celsius and let it cook for 8 hours. Meanwhile pour 1 liter of toasted poultry broth into a pan and reduce it for 90%. Once the duck legs are cooked take them out of the fat and clean the meat from the bones and the skin. The skin you can keep for next time. Now transfer the cleaned duck leg into a bowl and add the hot reduced poultry broth. Mix it for around 2 minutes to break up the texture a bit. After add 3 table spoons of goose or duck fat to make it a bit juicier. Mix it again and then add some pistachio nuts. These will add a beautiful texture. Now cover your worktop with layer of wrap and place the duck leg on top. Portion it into a big roll and then roll it up as tight as possible. Then make a knot on one side. Now use the other side to make it even tighter and make a knot on that side as well. Then submerge the roll in a container that’s filled with ice water and let it set for at least 2 hours. By letting it set in the water you will get a beautiful round roll with no laying dent.

How to finish the duck.

First trim the sides off the duck and remove the wrap. Now transfer some blackberry pate de fruit on a piece of foil and place the duck on top. Cover it completely and then gently portion it into thin slices. Transfer it on a plate and then let it come to temperature for 30 minutes.

Recipe used in confit duck leg with brioche feuilletée