What Is Confit?*
The French word “confit” literally means to preserve. It’s a time-honored tradition used by home cooks and chefs to salt and slowly cook an ingredient in fat. A confit is a technique traditionally used to preserve meats by cooking them in their own fat. The best-known example is duck confit. But the term “confit” can be used to describe any ingredient, including vegetables, that has been slow-cooked in fat at a low temperature.
Essential Elements of Making Confit*
Meat, particularly poultry, is the most common item made into a confit, though vegetables and fruitS can also be used in a confit.
The Salt Cure*
A true meat confit includes a salt cure, which is massaged into the meat, then sealed and aged for at least one hour. Salting draws out the moisture–replacing the water with oil–making the meat ingredients more tender and adding depth to the flavor. The meat should be pat dry with a paper towel before continuing the confit cooking process.
The Fat*
The most important element of a confit is fat, as the slow rendering in grease makes it difficult for bacteria to grow, but special attention should be paid to the temperature and storage during the preservation process.
*SOURCE: MASTER CLASS THOMAS KELLER