This is a term that is increasingly seen on menus and with a variety of foods. Duck Confit, Tomato Confit, and Garlic Confit are the most typical examples. How is it that this term applies to so many ingredients? It’s because it is a cooking technique that enhances flavors of many different foods! How confit does this is by using one of the most powerful flavor enhancers out there. Before I say what that is, I want to make sure that something is clear, this word has a bad connotation these days. However, the degree of unhealthy really depends on the type used. This ingredient is also a highly effective preserving agent that is free of harmful chemicals.
What is it? Fat. Confit simply means “cooked in fat.” Sometimes the ingredient is cooked in its own fat, like traditional Duck Confit. Or, it could be cooked in a different fat. Often tomatoes and garlic are cooked in olive oil…though consumers will find that other oils are being used to keep manufacturer’s costs low. So, you may see more trans fats or palm oil being used. Beware of these oils, first of all they turn what otherwise may actually a pretty healthy food into an unhealthy one, and there is a huge environmental cost for using Palm Oil.
Since we are talking about a cooking technique with oil, you may ask what makes this technique different than frying…the answer is temperature. In frying, the oil is heated to 350 degrees (which is too high for Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and aggressively cooks the food quickly. However, a confit cooks the ingredients at a low temperature over a longer time frame. That helps the oil change the texture of the ingredient and allows the flavors to be enriched and enhanced. It is especially effective when herbs and spices are utilized since it will create complexity in the ending dish. The reason behind that is that some heat brings out flavors, but high heat will break down delicate flavors. Therefore, a confit will bring out more delicate flavors lost in aggressive cooking techniques.
There are some additional benefits for utilizing a confit technique. First of all, there is the added benefit of having leftover oil that is enhanced with the flavors of what was cooked in it. So, with garlic confit, there is a beautiful garlic oil to use on salads or other lower-temperature cooking methods. Secondarily, if the ingredient that was cooked via confit is then stored in the fat it was cooked in, it is preserved and can last in the fridge for far longer than a simple roast or grilling technique can provide.
That gives you a hint about why this method was developed in the first place! During the Renaissance, when food preservation was top of mind, and maintaining good flavors always a challenge, utilizing fat for preservation was very important. A larder is called that for good reason! Covering meat in refined oil made for a longer lifespan with good flavor. Since game birds were a favored food, Duck Confit became a classic ingredient used as a the highlighted protein served traditionally with green lentils, or in complex dishes such as Cassoulet.
Today, with a more global influence in the foods we eat and a focus on lighter fare, vegetables and fruit Confits are popular. Even Flower Confits are on the market creating many flavor palates to play with. I hope that the next time you see Confit on a menu, you will take a chance on trying it.
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