You’ll never have chicken that is so tender, juicy, and crispy-skinned than chicken confit or olive oil roasted chicken.
To make the juiciest chicken ever, salted chicken pieces are roasted with carrots, shallots, garlic, and lemons in olive oil.
This Olive Oil-Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Carrots was the main dish of our Alison Roman Night a couple of months ago.
All of the recipes we made that evening were “OMG, this is amazing!” along with “Which recipe was that I need to make this again!”.
Confit chicken is a delicious French dish made using an ancient preservation technique called confit. It results in extremely flavorful, succulent chicken that can be used in a variety of ways. In this article, we’ll explore what exactly confit chicken is, how it’s made, its history, and tips for making it at home.
What is Confit?
Confit refers to any food that is cooked and preserved in its own fat. While duck and goose confit might be more well-known, chicken can also be confit with outstanding results. The key steps include:
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Curing the meat in salt, herbs, and spices. This draws out moisture and flavors the chicken.
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Slow cooking the salted chicken in its own rendered fat at a very low temperature,
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Storing the cooked chicken submerged in the fat, which prevents spoilage.
Confiting the chicken makes it soft and lets the fat, herbs, and spices add a lot of flavor. Confit chicken was first used to keep food fresh, but now people love it for its concentrated flavor and smooth texture.
The History of Confit
Confit came from southwest France as a way to keep meat fresh without putting it in the fridge. People loved goose and duck fat, which they used for food, medicine, and even as payment.
Farmers would slaughter poultry in the fall and confit the meat in its own fat for preservation through winter when fresh meat was scarce. The rendered fat was reused too – a zero waste endeavor.
Over time, chefs realized confit had a special ability to transform the flavor and texture of meat. Its popularity spread beyond rural France as a delicacy known for richness and tenderness.
How to Make Confit Chicken at Home
Making confit chicken is a multi-day process but straightforward once you understand the steps
Curing
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Mix salt, pepper, herbs like thyme or rosemary, and spices like bay leaves together and rub the chicken all over with it.
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Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days. This seasons the meat thoroughly.
Confiting
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Rinse cured chicken and pat dry again. Let come to room temperature.
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Melt duck or goose fat in a slow cooker or oven at 200°F to 225°F.
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Submerge chicken fully in the fat and cook for 2-4 hours until fork tender but not falling off the bone.
Cooling and Storing
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Let chicken cool in the fat until completely chilled.
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Transfer chicken and fat into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 6 months.
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Discard fat once it starts looking cloudy. Reuse fresh fat up to a few times.
Finishing
- Remove chicken from fat and pat dry. Brown the skin in a hot pan skin-side down until crispy.
Tips for Making Perfect Confit Chicken
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Use the legs and thighs, which work best. Bone-in pieces have more flavor.
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Look for duck or goose fat at specialty stores or online. Supplement with olive oil if needed.
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Keep the temperature below 200°F. Higher heat makes drier, tougher meat.
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Cook until fork tender but not falling off the bone for clean removal.
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Chilling fully before storing prevents spoilage. Vacuum sealing improves shelf life.
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Add aromatics like garlic, citrus, or herbs to the poaching fat for extra flavor.
Serving and Using Confit Chicken
The beauty of confit chicken is its versatility. Here are some delicious ways to use it:
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Serve confit chicken legs as is, with crispy skin and tender meat.
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Shred and mix into salads, sandwiches, tacos or pasta for added richness.
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Use in cassoulet, soups, or stews in place of duck confit.
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Make chicken rillettes by shredding the meat and mixing with some of the poaching fat.
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Pair with roasted veggies or creamy mashed potatoes for a hearty meal.
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Stir into rice dishes like jambalaya or congee.
However you choose to use it, confit chicken offers a delicious depth of flavor that turns ordinary chicken into a luxurious treat. With a few simple steps, you can craft restaurant-quality chicken easily at home. Give confit a try! Your taste buds will thank you.
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What do you need to make Chicken Confit?
- Chicken pieces—I used a mix of legs and thighs, but you could also use four whole chicken legs!
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Pepper
- Lemons
- Garlic
- Fresh Thyme or Oregano
- Carrots
- Shallots
- Olive Oil
I’m going to show you how to make a small dish for two or a large braiser dish for 8.
First, you’ll salt and pepper each individual piece of chicken.
We’re dry brining the chicken the day before we cook it.
Using paper towels , pat dry each piece of chicken, then liberally salt each piece of chicken.
Place chicken skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet.
Alison Roman’s Chicken Confit | NYT Cooking
FAQ
What does confit chicken mean?
Confit refers to the process of slow cooking and storing food in fat. Confit is a French word that means “preserved. ” In the confit method, meats are cooked in fat for a long time at low temperatures. Tough cuts like duck legs become softer because of this. They can be kept all winter in duck fat in a cool place.
What is the difference between frying and confit?
Confit as a cooking term describes when food is cooked in grease, oil or sugar water (syrup), at a lower temperature, as opposed to deep frying.
Is confit a healthy way of cooking?
Confit can be healthy if consumed in moderation. While the method involves cooking in fat, the food doesn’t absorb much. You can make confit a healthy part of your diet by cooking it with olive oil or other healthy fats and vegetables.
What to eat with chicken confit?
Broiled chicken leg confit can be served whole, or shredded. Serve with potatoes, lentils or beans. Perfect on a salad, grain bowl or with potatoes.
How do you store chicken confit?
Pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Put some of the strained fat on top of the meat so that there is a 1/4-inch layer of fat. The chicken confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
What is chicken confit?
Chicken confit is chicken that been cured and cook in fat at a low temperure for 10-12 hours. You can use fat like duck fat, goose fat or you can also use olive oil to confit the chicken. Here are the basic ingredients you can use to cured the chicken. Once you get more comfortable wi
How do you cook chicken confit?
In this classic confit, the chicken is salted and seasoned with herbs, then slowly cooked in olive oil to make it rich and tender. Using a mortar and pestle, crush 2 tsp sea salt with the thyme, peppercorns and juniper berries. Press bay leaves and garlic into the fleshy side of the chicken and rub the skin with thyme salt.