The classic French technique of confit need not be limited to duck – quail legs can also benefit from this slow, gentle cooking process.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 8 quail legs
- salt
- 250g of duck fat, or vegetable oil if preferred
Method
1
Lightly cover the quail legs in salt and leave to cure for 3 hours
2
Rinse off the salt and pat dry thoroughly
3
Melt the duck fat in a saucepan and bring to a temperature of 120˚C
4
Submerge the quail legs in the fat and leave to cook for 3 hours, either on the hob or in the oven, making sure that the fat remains at 120°C
5
Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the quail legs and drain on kitchen towel and chill until needed
6
To serve, heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and fry the legs skin side down for 2–3 minutes until golden brown and crispy
Variations
Mix thyme, rosemary and garlic into the salt before curing to impart extra flavour into the quail legs.
Quail legs are great served alongside the roasted breast or try flaking the meat into a salad.
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