Duck Confit and free-range egg breakfast sandwich

Duck Confit and free-range egg breakfast sandwich with ginger marmalade, duck cracklings, fresh spinach and a poached free-range egg.

Confit is a preservation method and once it is cooked it will stay in the refrigerator, in the fat for weeks or months. It also freezes very well.

For the duck legs

Pressing the Duck (The day before)

4 duck legs with thigh attached
Kosher Salt
4 sprigs each of fresh thyme and rosemary

1 tablespoon Peppercorns
1 tablespoon Juniper berries
4 Bay leaves

In a pestle and mortar or spice grinder: Pulse the peppercorns, juniper berries and bay leaves a few times to break them up.

Wash, then dry your duck legs and salt them liberally (this will be washed off) and then rub each side with the spice mixture. Push a rosemary sprig into the side of the leg without skin.

Place a cooling rack onto a baking sheet or plate and place your duck legs flesh side down, cover lightly with plastic wrap then put another plate or sheet on top of the duck legs – sandwiching the duck and the cooling rack between two plates.

Put it in your fridge overnight with something heavy on top like a jug of juice or a big can.

Cooking the duck (Day two)

Preheat the oven to 275F

Duck fat or grape seed oil to cover the duck

Wash the duck legs that have been pressing over night and dry them. Place them in an ovenproof pan and cover them with enough oil or fat that they are just submerged. Cover the pan with foil and put in the oven. Set a timer for 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 225F for 2.5 hours. Test the duck by using heat proof tongs to pull it out of the fat and squeezing it to see if it is tender and beginning to flake. If it isn’t then leave it for up to 30 more minutes. Remove it from the oven and set aside

For the Ginger Marmalade (up to several weeks in advance)

3 oranges
Small knob of ginger
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
3 peppercorns
1 lemon

Cut the oranges in half and juice them into a bowl through a strainer: squish them really well and make sure any seeds are out of the left over orange peel. Pull out some of the stringy bits of the orange pulp and then slice the orange peels thin.

In a medium saucepan bring the juice, sugar, water, ginger and peppercorns to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 35 minutes. Add small amounts of water if it gets too thick too soon. You want the orange peels to be tender and there should be a medium thick syrup consistency. Remember the consistency will change when it is cool.

Remove the ginger and peppercorns from the marmalade. Season with lemon juice (start with a half a lemon and add more if needed)

Let it cool to room temperature and serve right away or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several weeks or in sanitized jars for months.

For the poached eggs

8 free-range eggs
1 tablespoon vinegar
4 L water

Bring the water to a simmer in a flat pan or braising pan. Add the vinegar.

Break the eggs into the water and let simmer for about 3-3.5 minutes. Remove from the water and serve right away. If you want to use them later then cook them until just the whites are set and plunge the egg into some ice water. Reheat for about 30 seconds in clean boiling water and serve.

To Finish

Pull the skin off of the duck and place it on a baking sheet in the oven at 350F for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy. Take it out of the oven and dust it with salt – set aside.

Pull all the meat off of the bones.

Toast your bread of choice (We like English muffins)
Spread a small amount of the marmalade on the bottom and top of the English muffin. A few spinach leaves on each muffin and top it with the duck.

Poach (or reheat) your eggs, dab them dry on paper towel, place on top of the duck and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Top with a little more marmalade and then the crispy duck skin. Top with a few green onions and serve.