What is confit I hear you say? something I heard only recently by an enquiring young lady in my local butchers the other day.  Confit is a centuries old process of preservation by salt , so curing the meat. It refers to a cooking term used most often for meats, preserved by being salted and cooked in their own fats slowly. It can be applied also to a condiment of vegetables or fruit cooked to a consistency similiar to jam for instance.

To prepare a confit the meat would be rubbed with salt & garlic and then refridgerated for at least 2 days. In France the meat used in a confit would be placed in a pot and covered with the cooking fat to seal and preserve the meat. Once preserved in this way it can keep for up to 6 months if it is stored in a refridgerator and kept sealed. As this method creates a salty taste you are suppose to serve a confit with something sweet in taste. In France the preserved meats would be used in stews and cassoulets. Fruits are preserved in this manner only using sugar or honey which is a confit too.

For instance Duck Confit is a french dish made with a leg of duck. Prior to cooking the salt would be brushed off the meat. In this classic the duck legs would be grilled or fried in a bit of fat until they were brown and crisp. You could then serve this with potatoe cubes with garlic and rosemary tossed in the duck fat and a spicey red cabbage.  Umm Umm! this is one of my favourites.

Make sure to get superb results you have a good frying pan and you will need various sizes too. Take a look at the options available I love the Le Creuset cast iron pan range. All of their pans are made at the Le Creuset foundry at Fresnoy-Le-Grand since 1925, remain unchanged in the uncompromising method of their manufacture, it’s unlikely that back then they could envisage innovations such as phenolic, dishwasher-proof handles, pouring zones with anti-drip lips or non-stick finishes.  But the basic recipe remains the same and the moden touches are only there to make your life easier.

Le Creuset frying pans are great for frying and sauteing. Available in a variety of colours to match your collection or kitchen, each pan features a phenolic handle which is oven safe up to 190° C and iron helper handle and lets not forget that 10 year guarantee!

Whats your favourite frying pan, tefal, non-stick, cast iron lets run a vote to find out which is our favourite frying pan, send me your vote!