Duck Confit Poutine Recipe

Cure the duck

Pat duck legs dry. Rub each leg thoroughly with kosher salt (about 1/2 tbs per leg), sprinkle with black pepper, tuck a half garlic clove and a couple thyme leaves under the skin of each leg. Place legs in a single layer in a shallow dish, cover, and refrigerate for 12–18 hours to cure.

Rinse and dry

After curing, rinse salt and aromatics from the duck legs under cold water. Pat very dry with paper towels. Allow to sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 hour to dry the skin further (helps with crisping later).

Cook confit

Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). In a deep ovenproof sauté pan or Dutch oven, warm the duck fat until just liquified. Add bay leaves and remaining thyme. Submerge duck legs in the fat, skin side down. Bring to a bare simmer on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven. Cook gently for 2½–3 hours until meat is very tender and pulls from the bone.

Cool and store

Remove pan from oven. Using tongs, transfer legs to a tray to cool slightly. Reserve duck fat for frying potatoes or future use by straining into a jar. You can refrigerate the legs submerged in fat (covered) up to 1 week, or refrigerate uncovered for immediate crisping.

Crisp before serving

When ready to serve, heat a skillet over medium-high heat, place duck legs skin-side down and sear 3–5 minutes until skin is crisp. Alternatively, place under a hot broiler 3–5 minutes. Shred duck meat with forks and discard bones and large skin pieces; keep a few crisp skin pieces for topping.

Prepare potatoes

Cut peeled russets into 1/3–1/2 inch fries. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear to remove surface starch. Soak fries in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour (or refrigerate in water for up to 8 hours). Drain and pat completely dry. Toss with cornstarch if using, to coat lightly.

Blanch fry (first fry)

Heat neutral oil in a heavy pot to 325°F (160°C). Working in batches, fry the potatoes 3–4 minutes until just tender and pale (no color). Remove and drain on paper towels. Let rest 10 minutes.

Finish fry (second fry)

Increase oil temperature to 375°F (190°C). Fry blanched potatoes in batches until golden brown and crisp, 2–4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and immediately season with 1 tsp salt (or to taste). Keep warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven on a baking sheet while assembling poutine.

Sauté aromatics

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced shallot and cook until translucent, 2–3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Make roux

Stir in the tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste but do not let it brown significantly.

Deglaze and simmer

If using, add sherry or white wine to deglaze the pan and reduce by half. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and add the concentrated demi-glace. Add thyme sprig. Bring to a simmer and cook 6–8 minutes until slightly reduced and glossy. Remove thyme sprig, season with salt and black pepper to taste. If sauce is too thin, simmer a few more minutes; if too thick, thin with a splash of stock.

Layer the fries in a shallow wide bowl or individual plates while still hot.

Scatter fresh cheese curds evenly over the hot fries so they soften but retain some shape.

Spoon hot chicken demi-glace gravy over fries and curds, using enough to melt the curds and coat fries (about 1/2 cup per serving).

Top with shredded duck confit (about 1 leg worth of meat shredded per serving) and a few crisp skin pieces for texture.

Garnish with finely snipped chives and serve immediately so the curds remain soft and squeaky.