| Total: | 14 hr 32 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 12 min |
| Cook: | 14 hr |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 chicken leg portions with thighs attached, excess fat trimmed and reserved (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 10 garlic cloves
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 4 cups olive oil
Instructions
- Lay the leg portions on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme on each of 2 leg portions. Lay the remaining 2 leg portions, flesh to flesh, on top. Put the reserved fat from the chicken in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Top with the sandwiched leg portions. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat and reserve. Rinse the chicken with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the chicken on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
- Remove the chicken from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat so that there is a 1/4-inch layer of fat on top. The chicken confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- The excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used like butter for cooking. The tinge of chicken taste in the oil is wonderful and I use the oil to roast potatoes, cook green beans, and pan-fry veal.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 2356 |
| Total Fat | 248 g |
| Saturated Fat | 39 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Cholesterol | 189 mg |
| Sodium | 980 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! However, I didn’t rinse the chicken, after marinating it for 8 hours (Use all seasonings plus sliced white onions). I cooked it at 275 degrees for 3 hours. It’s a phenomenal dish, falls off the bones and the au jus is perfect for future applications.
This picture doesn’t do this dish justice. This recipe has incredible flavor and blow your mind tenderness. Don’t pull it off the bone, let it cool and then quick sear in a sauté in some of the same oil from the confit, crisp the skin and serve immediately. Your guests will die and go to heaven!
But that picture, tho! My eyes, OH GAWD, MY EYES!!
It’s so terrible I can’t even think.
Please, Food Network, take another one!
Very tender chicken, and wonderful tasting. Duck is next!