Rillettes

Method

1. 1 Rub coarse salt, thyme, and pepper all over the duck thighs, then refrigerate for 12 hours.
2. 2 Rinse off the salt, pat dry, then simmer in duck fat at 85 degrees for 2 hours and 30 minutes, until the fat is only slightly bubbling.
3. 3 Remove the meat from the pot, debone it, and remove the skin. Then, shred it using two forks instead of grinding it; the meat fibers should still be intact for proper rillettes.
4. 4 Mix the meat with 4 tablespoons of strained rendered fat and season with salt and pepper to taste, as this is a cold dish.
5. 5 Place in a jar, cover with a 5 mm thick layer of fat, and refrigerate for 12 hours before spreading on bread.

With an appliance

• Oven 3 hr

  Replace step 2: deep-fry the duck thighs in fat on the middle rack of the oven at 120 degrees for 2 hours and 30 minutes; step 3 still involves tearing the meat with two forks while it's still warm so the rillettes retain their texture.