Aladino’s is the recently opened restaurant in the heart of Kensington that offers an enticing Alexandrian cuisine with French and Italian influences.
Here, Ed Sargent of Aladino’s presents a mouth-watering recipe for Duck confit – a precursor of festive dishes to come. Enjoy!
Duck confit
- For 4 legs
- 4 duck legs (Gressingham would be my choice)
- 30g rock salt
- 2 juniper berries
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1/2 orange, peel only
Method
- Cover the duck legs with the spices and aromats and refrigerate overnight in a large tray or oven pot
- Wash off the salt mix the following day and pat the legs dry
- Add fresh garlic, thyme and bay to the legs
- Cover the legs with duck fat and cook, un-covered at 140 degrees for 2hrs 15 minutes Take out from the oven and allow the legs to cool in the oil in a safeplace
- The legs can be refrigerated in the oil for up to three days. This will improve theflavour. Alternatively you can use immediately
- Remove the legs from fat, remove thigh bone whilst still warm (this is a Cheffy thing to do aimedat creating a certain aesthetic – it’s not necessary and the duck will eat beautifully with the thigh bone in, it just makes it slightly more fiddly to cut around the meat)
- Remove any excess fat from the skin and add to a frying pan
- Heat said frying pan, add the duck, skin down, and cook until the skin is golden and crisp. Turn the leg and put in the oven at 180 degrees until heated through (3-4mins)
- At the restaurant we serve this with rosemary gnocchi, mustard fruits and celeriac remoulade, finished with a port and duck jus, but it’s great with simple roast potatoes, butternut squash or winter greens.
Aladino’s, 38c Kensington Church Street, London, W8 4BX
For more information click here