Confit Duck Mezzelune with Thyme Butter

A few things immediately come to mind when dreaming of French gastronomy: the croissant, for instance, or sumptuous bœuf bourguignon. Confit duck, or ‘confit de canard’ in French, is just as quintessential, originating in Gascony in the southwest corner of France near Toulouse.

The confit process dates back to the era of pre-refrigeration where raw meat would be seasoned with aromatics such as garlic and thyme, then rubbed with salt for both flavour and to help as a preservation technique. The meat is then slowly roasted at a low temperature until it falls off the bone and the rendered fat is collected to be poured over, submerging the cooked meat once cooled. One solidified, the fat encasing the meat acts as a barrier to oxygen which preserves the tender meat for weeks or even months (depending on how long you can resist!).

This World Pasta Day special pays homage to this gourmet French classic, with rich confit duck meat encased in our freshly made mezzelune. Again in respect of French deference to the herb, we pair our pasta with burro di timo, or thyme butter, which also happens to be a fantastic choice alongside duck. Bon Appetit!