Confit de canard
法式油燜鴨腿 (confit de canard) ，像北京烤鴨之於中國、港式燒味之於香港，是法國家喻戶曉的菜餚。鴨腿製作過程絕不複雜，但因需用大量豬油、鴨油，一般家庭主婦都不會選做。油燜 (confit) 的煮法最能表現歐洲慢食 (slow food) 風格。用鹽、香葉醃製一天，及用溫油燜三小時後，再放置於油罐內，儲藏在乾燥地方，便成為農家人的過冬食糧。簡單調配方法，能充分提出食物原味，這是西方烹飪基礎。confit 除了可用鴨腿 (canard) 外，也可以選用雞腿、兔子、鴨胸、鮮魚肉等搭配。
法國南部聖城Lourdes小店Palacio的confit de canard (上圖)。鴨肉鬆軟、入口溶化；配以沙拉菜，烤小薯，一小杯紅酒，消費不到15歐羅，100%法國鄉村風格。
Like Beijing roasted duck for China and Siu Mei (a name collectively referring to different types of roasted meat) for Hong Kong, confit de canard, or preserved duck, is a household culinary delight for French. It is not hard to do this dish. Just because the cooking process needs a lot of pig and goose oil, most housewives don't do it. confit, or simmering in oil over slow fire, can best reflect Europe's slow food culture. Marinated with salt and herbs for a day, simmered by warm oil for 3 hours and stored in a can in a dry environment, canard, or duck drumstick, is a traditional food for farmers in winter. Using simple seasonings to bring out the original flavour of the food is the foundation of western cooking. The method of confit can also be applied chicken, rabbit, duck breast and fresh fish meat.
In the photo is a confit de canard prepared by Palacio, a little restaurant in Lourdes, a holy Catholic town in south France. Soft and fluffy, it dissolves as soon as it is put into mouth. Together with a salad, baked potato and a small glass of red wine, it costed less than 15 euro. 100% village style.
