From the cookbook available on kindle unlimited
The Complete Nose to Tail
RENDERING
Traditionally, Britain being a seafaring nation, preserving food has always been important; unfortunately, the deep freeze has eclipsed the process of rendering, cooking and preserving in fat, which produces tender, flavorsome meat that keeps, improving with age, and could not be more versatile in its gastronomic possibilities. In the sixteenth century, for long sea journeys, cooked ducks and mallards were preserved in their own fat, butter and spices. In France the practice of confit (cooking and preserving meat in fat) has remained fundamental in modern kitchens. In Britain potting meat (cooking meat, shredding it, and covering it with an airtight layer of butter or suet) is still popular. But, for a country full of ducks and geese, why are we not using the fat like the sixteenth-century navy? Duck and geese are extraordinary fat providers. Put your hand into their cavity and you should be able to pull out a great clump of fat; place this into a pan and heat to a melting simmer. When it appears all the fat has flown, strain it into a jar, seal it and allow it to cool, then refrigerate. Using the same method you can also render down pork fat. Roast a duck and see how fat collects into your roasting pan. Again, pour this off into a jar, seal it, allow it to cool then refrigerate. If you still need more fat you can always buy tins of duck or goose fat.
HOW TO DO IT
In a plastic, glass or china container, scantily scatter sea salt, black pepper and twigs of thyme. Place a layer of your chosen meat and repeat your scattering. Keep on layering until done. Cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. This, as well as flavoring it, removes water from the meat. The next day there should be a salty puddle in your container. Remove the meat and brush off any remaining salt, pepper and thyme. Dry it with a clean tea towel, place in an oven dish or pan, cover with duck, goose or pork fat, or a combination, and cover with foil. Cook in a medium oven until the flesh is giving but not falling apart. When it’s cooked, remove the meat to a sealable glass, plastic or china container, then pour fat over to cover. Seal the container, allow it to cool and refrigerate. The only exception is tongue, which, while warm, should be peeled then returned to the fat.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR GOODIES IN FAT
Your meat is now flavorsome, giving and amazingly versatile. Duck, goose or rabbit legs are a meal in themselves when heated in a hot oven to crisp the skin, or sorted through and shredded in a salad. So, too, with giblets; use warmed in a salad, in a terrine, in stews—the possibilities hold no bounds. If cooking a lentil or bean stew the confit of pork belly or skin could not be anywhere happier. Eat tongues (at room temperature so the fat can run off) sliced with pickles or in a salad, pan-fry slices or make a kind of rich pressed tongue by placing the warm tongue into a terrine mold or plastic-wrap-lined bread tin, drizzling over some of the fat, and putting under great pressure. You can then reuse the fat for preserving or cooking with. Restaurants are confiting madly, and so should you at home.
APPROXIMATE COOKING TIMES IN FAT
Ducks’ legs: 2¼ hours
Goose legs: 2¾ hours
Duck or goose gizzards, necks, hearts: 2 hours
Rabbits’ legs: 2 hours
Lambs’ tongues: 2 hours
Pigs’ tongues: 2½ hours
Pork belly: 2½ hours
Pork skin: 1½ hours
KEEPING TIMES
Food preserved in fat has fantastic longevity, if kept in the fridge and properly covered in fat, but nature being nature there is now and then a batch that does not wish to grow old gracefully. So this method of preserving is not for ever, and I recommend using within six months.
The Complete Nose to Tail
RENDERING
Traditionally, Britain being a seafaring nation, preserving food has always been important; unfortunately, the deep freeze has eclipsed the process of rendering, cooking and preserving in fat, which produces tender, flavorsome meat that keeps, improving with age, and could not be more versatile in its gastronomic possibilities. In the sixteenth century, for long sea journeys, cooked ducks and mallards were preserved in their own fat, butter and spices. In France the practice of confit (cooking and preserving meat in fat) has remained fundamental in modern kitchens. In Britain potting meat (cooking meat, shredding it, and covering it with an airtight layer of butter or suet) is still popular. But, for a country full of ducks and geese, why are we not using the fat like the sixteenth-century navy? Duck and geese are extraordinary fat providers. Put your hand into their cavity and you should be able to pull out a great clump of fat; place this into a pan and heat to a melting simmer. When it appears all the fat has flown, strain it into a jar, seal it and allow it to cool, then refrigerate. Using the same method you can also render down pork fat. Roast a duck and see how fat collects into your roasting pan. Again, pour this off into a jar, seal it, allow it to cool then refrigerate. If you still need more fat you can always buy tins of duck or goose fat.
HOW TO DO IT
In a plastic, glass or china container, scantily scatter sea salt, black pepper and twigs of thyme. Place a layer of your chosen meat and repeat your scattering. Keep on layering until done. Cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours. This, as well as flavoring it, removes water from the meat. The next day there should be a salty puddle in your container. Remove the meat and brush off any remaining salt, pepper and thyme. Dry it with a clean tea towel, place in an oven dish or pan, cover with duck, goose or pork fat, or a combination, and cover with foil. Cook in a medium oven until the flesh is giving but not falling apart. When it’s cooked, remove the meat to a sealable glass, plastic or china container, then pour fat over to cover. Seal the container, allow it to cool and refrigerate. The only exception is tongue, which, while warm, should be peeled then returned to the fat.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR GOODIES IN FAT
Your meat is now flavorsome, giving and amazingly versatile. Duck, goose or rabbit legs are a meal in themselves when heated in a hot oven to crisp the skin, or sorted through and shredded in a salad. So, too, with giblets; use warmed in a salad, in a terrine, in stews—the possibilities hold no bounds. If cooking a lentil or bean stew the confit of pork belly or skin could not be anywhere happier. Eat tongues (at room temperature so the fat can run off) sliced with pickles or in a salad, pan-fry slices or make a kind of rich pressed tongue by placing the warm tongue into a terrine mold or plastic-wrap-lined bread tin, drizzling over some of the fat, and putting under great pressure. You can then reuse the fat for preserving or cooking with. Restaurants are confiting madly, and so should you at home.
APPROXIMATE COOKING TIMES IN FAT
Ducks’ legs: 2¼ hours
Goose legs: 2¾ hours
Duck or goose gizzards, necks, hearts: 2 hours
Rabbits’ legs: 2 hours
Lambs’ tongues: 2 hours
Pigs’ tongues: 2½ hours
Pork belly: 2½ hours
Pork skin: 1½ hours
KEEPING TIMES
Food preserved in fat has fantastic longevity, if kept in the fridge and properly covered in fat, but nature being nature there is now and then a batch that does not wish to grow old gracefully. So this method of preserving is not for ever, and I recommend using within six months.