Need Duck Leg Confit

[Jim Leff]

Hi, does anyone know a good source of duck leg confit (for home use)? A friend wants something good, but isn't willing to spend TOO far up the curve of declining results.

Manhattan, Queens, Nassau County ok. Thanks in advance!

ciao

[RGR]

Jim,

D'Artagnan sells duck leg confit for home use. I think your friend might be able to purchase it at the restaurant on E. 46th St., btw Lex & 3rd. They have a counter in front where they sell many of their items. He can call to check: [phone]. I'm pretty sure I've seen them at the Garden of Eden on 3rd Av., btw 23rd & 24th Sts. There are also a couple of other GofE locations in Manhattan, as well as one in Brooklyn. Gourmet Garage is another place where they may carry them.

Now, if your friend does not care to venture from his home and prefers to take the lazy route, he can make the purchase on line directly from D'Artagnan. I've provided the link to their web site. (It's a secured site.) He just clicks on "Go Shopping," then on "Duck Specialties." $4.95 per leg, or he can buy in bulk.

Is he, perhaps, making cassoulet?

Link: http://www.dartagnan.com

[Jim Leff]

"Is he, perhaps, making cassoulet? "

No idea WHAT he's doing. It's my mechanic, Tony (see link below), who leaves these kinds of queries on my answering machine sometimes. No idea where Tony even HEARD of confit.

Thanks for the good advice, but I was hoping for somewhat less top-drawer sources. Hmm...I wonder if Ottomanelli's might carry this?

ciao

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/dinner/tony....

[Melanie Wong]

If he has a couple days lead time, confit is the easiest thing in the world to make. It's better if it ages, although some people will use it the same day it's cooked. In San Francisco fresh duck legs are easy to find in Chinatown poultry shops, priced almost as scrap. And, if he doesn't have a source of goose or duck fat, rendering pork fat from fatty cuts also purchased in Chinatown will do in a pinch. Cheap and easy if your Chinese butchers have the right stuff.

[EV Andrew]

Quite true about the chinese bucher shops here in NYC also. Just bought 8 legs for like $7 to make confit for my company's holiday party (served it shredded on top of corn pancakes if anyone is interested.)

I have 6 quarts of duck fat in the freezer, gifted to me by a chef friend cleaning out his restaurant freezer, to make the confit, but salt pork is cheap at the same bucher shop - right on north side of grand street bet mullbury and mott.

[jen kalb]

Im wondering whether those dried cured duck legs sold in chinese groceries might serve a similar purpose to confit in simmered dishes? Has anybody used these legs.

[erica]

Does anyone know of a source for duck fat other than those tiny containers sold in some markets?? I know about D'Artagnan...do Chinatown (NYC) butchers sell this??

[Melanie Wong]

Here's a mail order source for duck fat. Have also purchased large tins (1#?) of goose fat from restaurant suppliers...don't know where to send you locally.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[erica]

Thanks, Melanie...you are always helpful!

[Quality Time]

Go to Chinatown to a place that sells bbq duck in the windows. Ask them to save and freeze the duck fat for you. They throw it away. Come back in a weeks time and you will a lot of fat available for rendering. Here in Toronto they give it to me for free

[bestbarb]

The best thing I can think of is asking Pascal Bonhomme who is the chef/owner at Pascalou if he would either make you some or if you can buy the ones he makes for the restaurant for your friend to serve at home...he is from Bordeaus and worked at La Tulipe in the 80's and makes best confit leg of duck I have ever had ...here or in France!

[buttertart]

We've bought D'Artagnan confit duck legs at Gourmet Garage (the one in the Village specifically) and Fairway, but availability seems a bit spotty.

[Wilfrid]

After seven years, Jim probably managed to track some down.

[buttertart]

One would hope. Did not notice original post date. It was kicked up by Quality Time.