Dish guides
What is confit de canard?
Confit de canard is a duck leg that has been salt-cured, cooked slowly in its own fat until tender, then fried or roasted until the skin is crisp. It's a speciality of south-west France, especially Gascony, and appears as a main course (plat), usually with potatoes cooked in duck fat.
- At a glance
- Confit de canard
- Salt-cured duck leg slow-cooked in duck fat, then crisped.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like kohn-FEE duh kah-NAR · IPA /kɔ̃fi də kanaʁ/
- Also written as
- confit de canard, cuisse de canard confite, confit de canard pommes sautées, confit de canard frites, duck confit, duck leg confit
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- duck leg
- salt
- duck fat
- garlic
- thyme or bay leaf
Often added
- pommes sarladaises (potatoes fried in duck fat with garlic and parsley)
- fries or sautéed potatoes
- green salad
- beans or lentils
- a red wine or fruit sauce
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Gluten | Sometimes contains |
| Dairy | Sometimes contains |
| Sulphites | Sometimes contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Celery | Rarely contains |
| Mustard | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | Depends — Duck itself is permitted, but restaurant confit is rarely made from halal-slaughtered birds, and a wine sauce may be added. Ask whether the meat is halal. |
| Kosher | Depends — Duck is a kosher bird and the dish normally has no dairy, but it is kosher only with kosher-slaughtered duck from a certified kitchen. |
| Gluten-free | Usually |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
How confit is made
Confit comes from the French word for preserving. The duck legs are rubbed with salt, garlic and herbs and left to cure, often overnight or longer. They're rinsed, then poached very gently in melted duck fat for several hours, until the meat almost falls off the bone. Stored covered in that fat, the legs keep for weeks, which is how farms in Gascony traditionally preserved their ducks.
To serve, the kitchen crisps the leg in a hot pan or oven, so you get crackling skin and soft, salty meat underneath. Restaurants may prepare their own confit or buy it ready-made in jars or tins. Both are common, and menus sometimes say maison when it's made in-house.
On the plate
Expect one whole duck leg, thigh and drumstick, with golden, crisp skin. The classic partner is pommes sarladaises, potatoes sliced and fried in duck fat with garlic and parsley, named after Sarlat in the Périgord. Fries, sautéed potatoes, a green salad or beans are also common. It's rich, so many people skip a heavy starter. Confit duck legs are also a standard ingredient in cassoulet, the bean stew of Toulouse, Castelnaudary and Carcassonne.
Where and when you'll find it
Confit is a speciality of the south-west, from the Landes and the Gers to the Périgord, the same duck country that produces foie gras and magret de canard. It's also a bistro standard across France, available all year and often on the good-value set menu (formule). See the France menu guide for how set menus work.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Je vais prendre le confit de canard, s'il vous plaît. | I'll have the duck confit, please. |
| Il est servi avec quoi ? | What does it come with? |
| Est-ce que la sauce ou l'accompagnement contient du gluten ? | Does the sauce or the side dish contain gluten? |
Not to be confused with
- Magret de canard — The breast of a fattened duck, seared and served pink like a steak; confit is the leg, cooked until tender.
- Foie gras — The fattened liver of a duck or goose, served as a terrine or seared slice.
- Cassoulet — A slow-baked white bean stew from the south-west that often includes a confit duck leg and sausages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between confit de canard and magret de canard?
They come from different parts of the duck and are cooked in opposite ways. Confit is the leg, cured with salt and cooked slowly in duck fat until tender, then crisped. Magret is the breast of a duck raised for foie gras, seared quickly and usually served pink, sliced like a steak. Confit tastes saltier and richer; magret is closer to red meat.
Is duck confit gluten free?
Usually, yes. The duck is cured with salt and herbs and cooked in fat, with no flour or bread involved. The risk is in what comes with it: a sauce thickened with flour, fries cooked in a shared fryer, or breadcrumbs on a cassoulet. Ask about the sauce and sides if you need to avoid gluten.
Is confit de canard salty?
It's noticeably salty, because the legs are salt-cured before cooking, though a good kitchen rinses them well. The saltiness pairs with plain sides such as a green salad or potatoes. If you're watching your salt intake, it's one of the saltier choices on a French menu, and asking for a salad instead of fries can balance the plate.
How do you pronounce confit de canard?
Say "kohn-FEE duh kah-NAR", in IPA [kɔ̃fi də kanaʁ]. The "on" in confit is nasal, the t at the end of confit is silent and so is the d at the end of canard. The French r is soft and made at the back of the throat.
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