Confit chicken
 

Slow cooking can be so rewarding. Meat that just falls away from the bone is a real FatSteak Club love so the confit process is a winner. Slow cooking in oil has a few advantages: big flavours (such as citrus oils) are held in better; the outcome is perfectly moist flesh (but not oily), and most importantly - provides a useful by-product in the now delicious oil. This recipe, inspired by Rachel Roddy’s, makes use of the confit oil to roast potatoes to perfection.
 

Step 1 - prepare the chicken (the day before)

  • Massage seasoning into the legs and leave in a sealed pot in the fridge overnight.

  • 1 hour before starting, bring the chicken out of the fridge to rise to room temperature.

20191230_191330.jpg

 

Step 2 - confit!

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C.

  • In the base of an oven dish that the legs fit tightly into, add a handful of thyme and sage.

  • Peel the zest from the orange and lemons using a potato peeler and add.

  • Peel the whole garlic bulb and add the cloves.

  • Chop the ginger stem into small slices and add.

  • Arrange the legs on top of these flavour ingredients, skin side up.

  • Cover with enough oil to just leave the very top of the skins exposed.

  • Put the pot in the oven (uncovered) for 20 min then turn down to 140 C and leave for 3 hours.

Step 3 - prepare the potatoes

  • Whilst the chicken cooks, peel the potatoes and chop into even-sized lumps, preferably with edges.

  • Top tip: Boil these in a large pan of water which includes some of the peelings as these will add to the spud flavour.

  • When the potatoes are soft (easily pierced with a knife), remove from the heat and drain.

  • Pick out the peelings and after the potatoes have cooled slightly rough the edges by swirling in the colander.

  • Leave the potatoes to cool completely.

Step 4 - Finish the dish

  • The chicken should stand in the oil for 1 hour after being removed from the oven. After this time, lift the pieces out and keep warm in a dish.

  • During this time return the oil (in a tray) to a hot oven (180 - 200 C) for 10 minutes then add the potatoes.

  • The roasties should be ready after about 45 -60 min.

  • Serve all together with some green vegetables.

 

 Ingredients

  • 4 full chicken legs (skin on)

  • Salt and pepper

  • Sprigs thyme

  • Fresh sage leaves

  • 1 orange

  • 4 lemons (unwaxed)

  • 1 bulb garlic

  • Small stem of fresh ginger (~5 cm)

  • 750 - 1000 ml of virgin olive oil

  • 500g waxy potatoes

 
20191231_195512.jpg

I trained as a chemist, and now I don't work in a laboratory anymore, I apply that knowledge to my cooking. I do love my gadgets, experimenting and using an understanding of the principles of chemistry to make the very best food. I seem to cook more and more as a hobby now I don't wear a lab coat, and still dream of retiring to run a small restaurant somewhere quiet.

My confidence really came when I taught myself to cook Italian and found I was pretty good at making pasta. I was married to a vegetarian then and it was the one cuisine where I didn't miss meat. I'm big on meat usually and passionate about great ingredients and doing things from scratch yourself. I did a butchery course last year and intend to learn all the skills needed to butcher and make use of a whole pig nose to tail.

Eating out is also a passion, and I particularly like to go for things I don't think I could do at home easily or better! Mind you, I do love a pie.