# Duck confit: Skin on or off? (need answer fast!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649 "2012-11-20T22:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/1 "2012-11-20T22:54:46Z")
I’m making Mark Bittman’s [Duck Stock and Confit](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/magazine/duck-stock-and-confit.html?_r=0), ultimately as part of a larger project of making Mark Bittman’s [Whole-Duck Cassoulet](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/magazine/whole-duck-cassoulet.html?ref=magazine). So I’ve cut up the raw duck and it’s time to marinate the legs in garlic, thyme and shallot prior to confit preparation. Am I interpreting Bittman correctly that _all_ of the skin is supposed to be removed from the legs prior to marinating? It seems odd to me that one would make a skinless confit. But then again, the confit ultimately gets shredded and put in the cassoulet anyway. And maybe removing the skin ensures that more of the actual meat is flavored when marinating? And does leaving the skin on or off affect how the confit cooks? I’m guessing the difference in cooking is not huge since if the skin were left on it would mostly get rendered anyway and become part of the enclosing duck fat. More experienced chefs, please offer your guidance! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/2 "2012-11-20T23:06:45Z")
I read that as “cut the skin where the leg meets the body so the leg can be removed with the skin on”. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/3 "2012-11-20T23:10:48Z")
I agree, he’s describing how to remove the legs from the breasts by cutting through skin around the joint and then through the joint itself. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/4 "2012-11-20T23:11:24Z")
Good video here: [http://video.about.com/homecooking/How-to-Butcher-a-Duck.htm](http://video.about.com/homecooking/How-to-Butcher-a-Duck.htm) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/5 "2012-11-20T23:13:06Z")
Since it says the following is done after the legs are removed: “Remove the skin from the legs with your fingers, loosening it with your knife as necessary” I think it means skin the legs. The picture seems to show a skinned leg, though most of it is covered with fat. I think you need to render all that fat to have enough. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/6 "2012-11-20T23:27:31Z")
I didn’t read that far, sounds like you’re right. I’ve never seen confit made with the skin off, seems odd. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/7 "2012-11-20T23:58:13Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I didn’t read that far, sounds like you’re right. I’ve never seen confit made with the skin off, seems odd. I can’t be sure, but that’s what it seems to be saying. I use fresh duck for cassoulet so I’ve never run into the problem. ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/8 "2012-11-21T00:09:48Z")
**zoid** / **USCDiver** and **TriPolar** , you’ve replicated precisely the tension in my internal thought process. I think I’m going to leave the skin on, unless a compelling reason not to turns up in the next couple of hours. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duck-confit-skin-on-or-off-need-answer-fast/641649/9 "2012-11-21T00:19:14Z")
Sounds odd to me too (but presumably Bittman has his reasons and the recipe is well tested) - sounds like a good opportunity to experiment - how about trying half the legs skin on and half the legs skin off and seeing how the end results compare?