Confit makes one think of duck legs. But this delicious method of preparation is also great for vegetables. Here's a few of my favorite easy recipes.

Do you have mad love for quality olive oil? Do you enjoy dousing your vegetables in this delicious liquid?  Do you wonder how to make that bumper crop of sweet cherry tomatoes and basil last into winter? If so, confit might just be the perfect preparation method for your kitchen. The word confit (pronounced "kon-FEE") derives from the French verb confire which means to preserve. In traditional French cooking, confit refers to anything preserved by slowly cooking it in a liquid. Just about anything can be "confied." For fruit, you would preserve it in sugar syrup. Confiture is the French word for jam preserves. For garlic, you use olive oil. The most well-known confit dishes in France are duck legs which are cured in salt before cooked in duck fat. Once cooked, the food is then packed into containers, totally submerged in the liquid. You want an impenetrable barrier to prevent any bacterial growth. This method has been used for hundreds of years and its origin is claimed by the folks in the Gascony region of southwestern France. Preservation of food was created out of necessity. Prior to refrigeration, there needed to be a way to preserve meats. Families would put up enough confit to last through the winter. In fact, they would not consume the previous confit stores until they had produced the new batch, ensuring they had enough food for the next year and the year after that. Where I live in France, it's duck country. You can buy large cans of local duck confit at the farmers' market or any grocery store. However, it's not a complicated dish to make from scratch. It's all about slow cooking. My recipe is far from traditional but it does produce a duck confit that is outrageously good. To begin, arrange the duck legs in a snug, single layer, fat side down, in an oven-proof skillet or dutch oven. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Cover tightly and allow to refrigerate for 24 hours. Think of it as the modern curing process. The next day, cook the duck legs on medium-high heat on the stove until the fat starts to render. In 20 minutes or so, flip the legs over, cover the pan with foil or its lid, and place in a preheated 300 degree (150 C.)  oven. You can add more duck fat if you have it in reserve. I like the legs to be almost submerged in the pan. Slow roast for 2 hours and then remove the lid or foil. Continue roasting until the duck is golden brown, about 1 hour more. Plate up the duck and store the leftover fat in the refrigerator for future recipes. Hint: Now's the time to make some popovers to go with the meal with some of the extra infused duck fat. (Mouth waters.) Today, duck legs are still cured and confited by ancient methods because the process makes them tender, delicate, and delicious. A good duck confit requires no knife and will simply melt in your mouth. And while I love a tender bit of duck, I'm more obsessed right now over vegetable confit. That is, vegetables cooked in an obscene amount of olive oil. I may be a bit lenient with my use of the term "confit" when I describe my mushroom confit recipe below. Technically, it is not "confit" to the French traditionalist because the mushrooms are not submerged totally in fat and stored for winter consumption. However, I do use an excessive amount of oil that seems way over the top . . . until you try them. You might think that the result would be a greasy mess. Not at all. Instead, the vegetables are infused with savory notes of quality olive oil. (You need to use the best olive oil for these recipes.) With very little work, the vegetables melt into something richer. In turn, the olive oil is embedded with the sweetness or spiciness of the vegetables and herbs. Any leftover oil from a dish can be drizzled over pizza, create a delicious vinaigrette, or simply top a fried egg the next morning. Making confit is simple and takes no special equipment. All you need is the item you want to confit and add a fat, salt, aromatics, and heat. Voilà. You'll create a delicious dish that is ready to smear on a slice of French bread, toss with pasta for an easy-peasy sauce, top a grilled pork chop, or blend into your signature tapenade.  First things first: Select your vegetable. Just about any vegetable will do. Zucchini, tomato, parsnip, mushroom, and garlic are a few of my favorites to confit. Next, slice your vegetables into uniform pieces. I leave my French beans and garlic whole but most everything else gets sliced, even the cherry tomatoes get cut in half. Choose your aromatics. Fresh herbs, spices, and flaky salt help to coax out the best of what the vegetable has to offer. A few gloves of garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaf will perfume your oil. I like to confit in a 300 degree (150 C.) oven because I can just slide it in and not think about it. But you can also confit on the stovetop. I use an oven-safe pan such as a vintage ironstone gratin dish. I pack my chopped vegetables tightly into one layer. If you use too large a dish, it means you will use a lot more oil. Season the veggies with salt and spices and pour over the oil. You want to be very liberal with the oil. If you cover the vegetables completely, you won't need to check on them as often for burning. If you use less oil, just give them a toss 1/2 way through the cooking time. Cover with foil or a lid. You want to slow-roast. If you find that they are boiling, turn down the heat. You're going for a simmer. (Note: Place your dishes on a cookie sheet just in case some of the oil bubbles over.) Roast for 60-90 minutes. The goal is tenderness and a bit of caramelization. And yes. You can use a crockpot or slow cooker for your vegetable confit. Go for low for 5 hours. What about a microwave? Now, we're getting crazy. I have lived without a microwave for 20 years so I'm no expert. I'm thinking that achieving that golden brown caramelized result might be a challenge. But if you're in a hurry, Pourquoi pas? Microwaved confit vegetables might be the perfect thing for you. Just don't share your method with any French person ;) Fat. Salt. Spice. Heat. These are the four elements to confit just about any vegetable. Baked Cheese with Confit Mushrooms 1 pound sliced button mushrooms 16 oz ricotta or soft cheese 1/2 cup quality olive oil 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 1/2 cup white wine 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped parsley salt & pepper to taste Sliced baguette 1.) This is one confit recipe that I cook on a stovetop. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine oil, pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir until the garlic is lightly toasted, 2 minutes. 2.) Add the sliced mushrooms and wine. Stir and cover. Adjust the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. 3.) Remove the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes more. When the mushrooms are sizzling and turning brown, add butter and allow to melt. Stir to keep the mushrooms from burning but I do like to have them a bit crisp on the edges. Don't worry about all the oil. You are going to love it for other recipes. 4.) Remove from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. I use salted butter so I only add a few turns of cracked pepper. Keep the mushrooms warm until ready to top the cheese. 5.) For the cheese, preheat the broiler. Divide the ricotta or other soft cheese among four small ramekins or one large baking or gratin dish. Slightly mound the cheese in the center of the heat-proof dish. Broil until browned across the top and heated all the way through, 5 to 8 minutes for the small dishes, and 14 to 20 minutes for a large baking dish. 6.) Top with the warm mushroom confit and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with delicious, sliced bread. Traditionally, duck confit was packed into earthen crocks and completely submerged in its fat, creating a barrier to bacterial growth. It could be stored for months in a cool cellar. This pair of confit jars are heading to Le Shop next week. They are my earliest examples - late 18th century and local to the Quercy region. While I might not store confit in them, I love to use them for storage in my kitchen, studio, and garden. Found in Le Shop this week click on the photo for more details shop now Once you bite into a confited cherry tomato, you'll be hooked. Imagine topping some linguine or poached fish in December with this aromatic, summer treat. I love confit vegetables because they can be a simple instant hors d'oeuvres, make my cheese boards even more tempting, and serve as a quick dinner when mixed with pasta. Besides, any meal benefits with a bit of confit vegetable as a luxurious side dish. It's not just for special occasions.   This weekend, confit something. The wearing of a French chef's hat while doing so is optional.     À bientôt mon amie, Karen 😋💕🦆🥕🇫🇷