Inspired by Vermont’s beauty and vibrant farm-to-table food and drink culture, Rose and Anatoly Polyakov have run Heart of the Village Inn in Shelburne since 2015. “As modern 21st-century innkeepers, we love to cook well and we love being efficient. Accomplishing more with less is one of our mottos. This recipe shows that you can prepare Duck Leg Confit and Potatoes Sarladaise in a matter of a few hours, not two days. Even better, you can adjust this recipe to swap out other ingredients, such as chicken, goose, turkey, yams, beets, carrots and so on. Let your imagination run wild and impress your dinner guests!”
Ingredients
- 2 duck legs (or turkey, goose, chicken, pheasant—whatever it is you are craving)
- 8 tablespoons kosher coarse salt
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 4 tablespoons dried thyme)
- 4 tablespoons maple sugar (not syrup)
- 2 oranges, halved
- 3 cups vegetable oil
- 4 medium potatoes (or yams, beets, carrots, anything that can be cut into ¼-inch medallions)
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley (and/or oregano, dill, scallions)
- 2 cloves garlic, or more to taste
- Fine sea salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
In a medium pot, generously cover legs with coarse salt and rub in 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 tablespoons of dried thyme for additional flavor. (Coarse salt allows the meat to marinate a bit, but more importantly it helps drain excess liquids from the meat so it keeps its shape.)
Place pot in refrigerator if your kitchen is warm and let the legs sit in the salt rub for an hour or 2.
Remove legs from the pot and rinse in cold water. Rinse pot as well. Place the legs yin and yang in bottom of the pot. Work in maple sugar and the remaining thyme. Arrange orange halves in between or on top of the meat and cover them with vegetable oil. Place the pot on the stove at medium heat and bring to a simmer; this should take around 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer slowly for 2 to 3 hours. While 2 hours is plenty of time, 3 hours will allow the meat to absorb more orange flavor and brown a bit more in the pot. When done, remove duck legs from the pot. Reserve the infused oil and herbs for the potatoes.
In the meantime, slice potatoes into medallions and place in a bowl of cold water. Dice fresh herbs and garlic with a pinch of fine salt and mix in a bit of vegetable or olive oil. Layer the potato medallions in a skillet, sprinkle with a touch of salt, and pour the infused duck oil to cover the potatoes. Cook on stove top over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through and tender.
Transfer the duck legs to a skillet and finish them off on medium heat however you prefer them: lightly browned or semi-golden and crispy. Arrange potatoes on a plate and sprinkle garlicky herbs to taste. Crown with duck leg confit and serve hot.
