TT Thomas TownsendChef · Melbourne

Confit Duck Leg with White Beans and ’Nduja

Spice-cured duck legs slowly confited in their own fat, crisped hard and served on smoky, spicy ’nduja white beans with greens.

By , head chef · Updated

Prep
30 min
Cook
3 hrs
Total
3 hr 30 min
Serves
4
Level
Weekend project
Jump to recipe
Crisp confit duck leg on a stew of white beans, ’nduja and greens in a wide bowl beside a glass of white wine

Duck confit is one of the most forgiving restaurant techniques there is. Cure, cook slowly, and the legs keep for weeks under their fat. Our house duck salt adds star anise, cinnamon, coriander and orange.

’Nduja, a soft, spicy Calabrian salami, melts into the beans and gives them smoke and heat. The greens keep it fresh.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Duck salt and confit

’Nduja beans

Method

Cure (the day before)

  1. Blitz the salt, spices and orange peel to a coarse powder.
  2. Rub it over the duck legs, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Confit

  1. Heat the oven to 130°C. Rinse the cure off the duck and pat dry.
  2. Lay the legs snugly in a small ovenproof dish, cover completely with duck fat and cook for 2½–3 hours, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
  3. Cool in the fat. The legs can be stored like this in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Beans

  1. Soften the shallot and garlic in the oil, then stir in the ’nduja until it melts.
  2. Add the passata, beans and stock and simmer for 15 minutes until thick and creamy. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon.
  3. Blanch the greens for 1–2 minutes, then stir through the beans.

To serve

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Lift the legs from the fat and place skin-side down in a hot ovenproof pan for 3–4 minutes, then turn skin-side up and roast for 12–15 minutes until crisp and hot through.
  2. Spoon the beans into warm bowls and top each with a duck leg.

Chef’s notes

  • Keep the duck fat. Strained, it makes the best roast potatoes you’ll ever have.
  • Don’t over-cure. Twelve hours is enough, and longer makes the duck too salty.

Questions about this recipe

What is ’nduja?

’Nduja is a soft, spreadable spicy pork salami from Calabria in southern Italy. It melts into sauces and gives them heat and a smoky depth.

Can I buy duck confit ready-made?

Yes. Good delis sell confit duck legs in tins or vacuum packs. Skip straight to the crisping step.

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