Time: 2:00 p.m.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

The name "confit" comes from an ancient French method of preserving meat, where it is salted and then simmered for a long time under a layer of fat. Unlike traditional confit, however, this recipe doesn't require tons of fat to cook the chicken legs. They are braised in their own fat and a small amount of olive oil with spices like garlic, bay leaf, and thyme, which imbue the chicken with a wonderful aroma. The entire confit-making process can take two days, but you'll have delicious chicken legs on hand that can be refrigerated for up to a month and used in your special dishes.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs, trim off excess fat and set aside (about 1 kg total)
• 1 tbsp + 1/8 tsp coarse salt
• 0.5 tsp freshly grated black pepper
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1.5 tsp black peppercorns
• 0.5 tsp table salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

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chicken legs, black pepper, bay leaf, thyme

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Place the drumsticks skin-side down on a platter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs on 2 drumsticks. Top with the remaining two drumsticks, meat side down. Place the reserved trimmed fat in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Place the drumsticks pressed together on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of coarse salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Step 2
• Preheat oven to 93°C.
Step 3
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and chicken fat and set aside. Rinse the chicken with cool water, removing some of the salt and black pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
Step 4
• Place the reserved garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and chicken fat in the bottom of an enameled cast-iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with black peppercorns and salt. Place the chicken on top, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover and roast for 12-14 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone.
Step 5
• Remove the chicken from the fat. Strain the fat and set aside (see note*). Separate the meat from the bones and place it in a ceramic container. Pour some of the strained fat over the meat, leaving a 0.5 cm layer of fat on top. The chicken confit can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Serve with potatoes, or paste.
Step 6

• Note

  
  
  *Excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used for other dishes. It will impart a wonderful chicken flavor to anything you cook with it, whether it's fried potatoes, green beans, or veal.

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