Duck Confit With Duck Fat Fried Potatoes And Pear And Watercress Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 (4 1/2 lb) whole ducks
1 tbsp coarse cooking salt
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 None dried bay leaf, crumbled
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 cups olive oil, approximately
1 1/2 lb new potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
12.5 oz watercress, trimmed
1 None large pear, sliced thinly

Preparation

Using a sharp knife, cut legs and breasts off ducks. Remove as much fat as possible from carcasses and reserve. Discard wings and carcasses.
Combine duck pieces, salt, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until required.
Meanwhile, place reserved fat in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat for 1 hour, or until fat has melted. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard solids.
Preheat oven to 300\u00b0F.
Rinse duck pieces under cold running water then pat dry with paper towels. Arrange duck, in single layer, in a large baking dish. Reserve 2 tbsp duck fat then pour remaining fat over duck. Top up with olive oil, making sure duck is completely submerged. Transfer to oven to confit for 2 hours.
To make the duck fat fried potatoes, boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender. Drain. Heat reserved fat in a large frying pan. Cook potatoes, in batches, until browned. Cover to keep warm.
To make the pear and watercress salad, whisk together mustard, vinegar, sugar and oil. Place watercress, pear and dressing in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.
Cook duck in a large frying pan, skin-side down, until skin is crispy. Serve with potatoes and salad.