Spur’s Duck leg confit with bacon vinaigrette

photo by Kristin Zwiers

My eyes widened when I opened this recipe, submitted by one of my favorite Belltown spots, Spur Gastropub. Duck cooked in duck fat, topped with a bacon vinaigrette? Yes, please. Thanksgiving only comes once a year, so treat you and your guests to this highbrow take on the traditional fowl dinner.

To cure the duck legs:

4 meaty duck legs

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 T parsley, chopped

2 T thyme, chopped

2 tsp juniper berries, ground

2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp coriander

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 small yellow onion, chopped

4 cups duck fat

Combine all the ingredients, except for the duck fat, and marinade for twelve hours, covered in the refrigerator.

After 12 hours, rinse the legs under cold water.

Heat the duck fat so that it becomes fluid, then pour it over the duck legs into a large baking pan. Cover the pan with parchment paper, ensuring that the legs are completely submerged in the fat. Cover the pan again with aluminum foil.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees, and place the duck legs into the oven, allowing them to cook slowly for five hours, or until the meat is very tender when pierced with a fork, and comes away from the bone without resistance.

Let the pan of duck legs stand at room temperature until cool. (Do not place the duck legs into the fridge until cool.)

The duck legs will keep, completely covered in fat, in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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Crispy leg of duck confit with, lacinato kale, potato, apple-bacon vinaigrette

4 duck leg confit (from previous recipe)

2 bunch            Lacinato Kale, take off the stalk, and coarsely chop

3 TBSP            Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBSP            Shallot, minced

½ TBSP            Garlic, minced

Pinch                 Red chili flakes

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

4 each   &nbs