Description
Indulge in the rich, melt-in-your-mouth goodness of Chicken Leg Confit, a classic French dish where chicken is slow-cooked in flavorful fat until tender and succulent. This recipe yields perfectly tender chicken with crispy skin, making it a delightful main course option.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Leg Confit:
- 4 chicken leg quarters (drumstick and thigh)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups duck fat or olive oil (enough to fully submerge the chicken)
- optional: fresh rosemary or sage for added aroma
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken legs dry and season with salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
- Cooking: Preheat oven to 250°F. Place chicken in a dish, add bay leaves and herbs, pour in fat/oil, cover, and bake for 2.5-3 hours.
- Crisp and Serve: Remove chicken from fat, rest, then crisp the skin in a skillet. Serve hot.
Notes
- Duck fat provides authentic flavor, but olive oil is a budget-friendly alternative.
- Store cooked chicken in fat in the fridge for up to a week; reheat and crisp before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus overnight brining)
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking, Confit
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 leg quarter
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 42g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
