The property of interest in your fat vs. water experiment is not heat capacity, it's thermal conductivity. The water transfers its energy to your finger faster than oil so you feel the pain faster.
Had the same thought but... I only have a cursory knowledge of the physics involved. I was questioning my understanding (because I don't automatically assume the video I'm watching is wrong) so I'm glad to learn I'm not mistaken 😂
Agreed that it is not heat capacity. But I think a better parameter than either is the heat transfer coefficient (deals with convection and boundary layer properties) of the oil vs the water. Thermal conductivity of fluids is better applied when they are used as insulators, such as air in a double-paned window. Source: Mechanical Engineer who deals with heat transfer.
@@bettymackey379 Found them at a little bit more of an upscale grocery store. They were super affordable and already prepackaged. (Central Market in case you’re a Texan) 😄
Made this last year and it will be the only way I do Thanksgiving turkey forevermore! Besides the excellent flavor,texture and juiciness,being able to make so much ahead is a huge plus. I used lard and chicken fat,removed the concentrated liquid from the bottom of the pot for gravy and froze the fat ,all ready for this year. Thank you for your entertaining education!
definitely trying it this year! seems perfect for a small number of people, without worrying as much about quantity and will be super easy for leftovers!
Dan oh Dan, sir, you have given new life to cooking turkey! Who would have thought that confit would be the avenue we travel to get to a new and easy way to change up our tradition humble turkey. I've been deboning my turkey for a decade now. Easy carving and the bones make a killer stock for gravy and soup, but now with this new twist on an old delicious meal, we keep the bones in to extract flavor and keep it in the meat while cooking comfit. Brilliant, just brilliant! This holiday season I see duck fat and confit in my future. Thanks for the science lesson also, perfect. It all makes sense!
I made this turkey! But I did not make it for Thanksgiving I did it with a turkey breast and used that breast to make lunchmeat for my daughter (she is very picky) she loved it! This makes fantastic lunchmeat if your life skills are good enough to cut the meat thinly. Thanks Dan
That garlic confit was amazing. And it lasted a good long while in the fridge and I had garlic for all my recipes. Tasty time saver! The turkey looks lovely as well. And I just might need that Chevre shirt. Very fun!
If I wear it to work, many of the young people will wonder what chevre is. If I wear it around people my age, they might wonder "goat" stands for. Either way, I have fun. (And it is the G.O.A.T. so yummy)
i'm convinced and inspired. I was going to sous vide my turkey this year but i'm glad i found your video. Confited will give me a similar outcome without involving plastic bags or circulators.
Second this. To serve picky eaters, I would like a recipe that confits the whole bird. Thighs, legs, and breasts, oh my! Way too many people refuse to eat the dark meat. Sad, since it is the most flavorful part of the turkey.
I love dark meat, no matter the bird. I have chicken thighs in the freezer and sometimes it's best just sauteed skin side down to start, flipping until it's around 170-180F, with not much more than salt, pepper and maybe the juice of a lemon if I have one on hand. :-) There are other ways to have that same thigh, but it's a way. :-)
I work in a hospital cafeteria, every other Monday we serve flavorless and dry "roast" turkey. I don't know how many people have commented how delicious it is and they wish they could make it like that for Thanksgiving. If our nasty turkey dinner is that delicious to them, how horrible is their Thanksgiving turkey? I tend to forget that most people couldn't cook an edible meal to save their life. I have a friend who's retired husband spent decades in food service, but everything that he's made is lackluster and everyone considers him a really good cook.
I have been wanting to try this for some time. After watching this video, I decided to just do it. I did a whole cut up chicken in lard. I just seasoned the pieces with a simple dry brine and let then set in the fridge overnight. I kept a couple of comparison pieces out and deep fried them. Oh my dear word! I could kick myself! Why have I never done this before? Well, truthfully, because it's a bit more trouble, but my Thanksgiving's turkey is going to be a winner this year. Thank you 😊
How did the white meat turn out? Finding a small whole turkey is easier than finding just the thighs, and some people prefer the white meat. I was wondering why he didn't show making a confit of the whole turkey (or half of one). TIA
@@christinekaye6393 I was very impressed. There wasn't a single tough bite. I let it bake 6 hours and I could have taken the dark meat out at 5 hours. When I do turkey, I'm going to put the dark and light meat in different baking dishes. I'll test towards the 5 hour mark and see if turkey needs to go longer.
@@christinekaye6393 He did praise both meats. This video is teaser for the recipe on Cooks Illustrated. I believe there is a paywal. I have been getting their printed annual version as book for years. And where is this year’s?🤭
I've been thinking about using my sous vide device to maintain the cooking temp for my confit. For example, I would seal the duck leg in a bag with duck fat, and let that sit in a pot of water that's regulated by my sous vide device.
Dan is so adorable it’s hard to pay attention to the video but when I do his videos are really interesting and informative. Props to Dan and his team. And the merch is super clever. Especially GOAT. 2 meanings!
I tend to eat turkey to get back a little, I was helping my cousin collect chicken eggs in her barn where she had turkeys also. One of the turkeys didn't like me picking up the eggs and chased me all over the barn for what felt like forever. So now I go for Turkey on the big holidays
If the effectiveness of this method is due to slow transfer of heat (from the oil), wouldn't we get the same results from sous vide at a lower temperature? Also, Dan attributes loss of flavor in typical cooking methods to flavor molecules dissolving in the surrounding water. At any cooking temperature the meat will emit juices/steam, altho less at lower temps naturally. Wouldn't most loss of flavor be due to this? How would we test this?
I'm coooking one regular non-brined turkey and one Kosher turkey (which comes brined). How can I make this work? Obviously bagged separately. During the pre-brine my thought was the Kosher one would skip the salt and sugar but still pre-cure with the other things? Or just skip the pre-curing step for that one?
Waiting for the answer as well. Would it be easier if you deboned the turkey first or do you need the bones for flavor? I don't like dark meat poultry so thighs are out of the question.
Serious question: Can the theory of this cooking method be applied to sous vide? For instance, placing a turkey or chicken breast in a bag full of fat and then using the water bath of the sous vide to hold it at 190°. Would you get the same result as using an oven where the air touching a pot transfers heart into the fat and then the meat? Or would water more efficiently heat the oil and thereby change the result? Also, does that salt cure work for chicken or would the recipe need to be adjusted?
When originally published in cook's, they gave both versions (this one and sous vide) side by side. The sous vide even had the benefit of requiring less duck fat, as it's more easily surrounded in the bag.
Sous Vide Everything has done multiple experiments of adding oils/fats to the bag with the meat they are cooking and what they’ve found is that the flavor of the meat is reduced. They hypothesized that the fat dilutes or draws out the flavors in the protein making it less tasty. I’m curious if confit has the same effect, or if those outcomes are a result of cooking it sous vide. I would say either cook it sous vide or confit but not both. That would be a cool experiment if you split a chicken in half and cook it both ways and see which one is best! I’m sure the salt cure would be great on chicken. But take my advice with a grain of salt as I do a lot of watching of cooking videos and just do some cooking.
Serious Eats found that duck confit was just as good sous vide. They recommended 155 for 36-40 hours, let the meat "cure" for 24 hours in the fridge, then crisp the skin. I imagine that method would work for dark meat on turkey as well. The breast might need a shorter cook at that high a temperature though.
If you have never fried turkey at 375 degrees F in peanut oil in a turkey fryer then you don't know how good turkey can taste. It is incredible. It's also very dangerous to do. If you figure out a safe way the way I did then You've really got something. The risk is that oil will spill over the top of the fry pot and reach the heating element, often a propane burner. This will set the entire pot into flames and eating turkey will be the last thing on your mind. You'll be lucky if you don't get severely injured, killed, or burn your house down. You can reuse the oil but you have to bring it up to 400 degrees the second time. A 13 pound turkey takes about an hour. This method just blows away every other method. BTW, if you are going to roast a turkey in an ove, my advice is to start with the breast side down. This allows the juices to drain into the white meat in the breast. Usually they tell you do do it the opposite way. That is why the white meat dries out and tastes like cardboard.
I've used a Masterbilt electric turkey fryer for years. It's very safe and can be used inside or out. The one I have limits the size to 14 lbs, but a newer version allows up to 20lbs. Hope this helps
Okay Dan, I tried this. I guess it tasted fine, but the hassle and additional cost is a drag. Takes up a lot of frig space, which is a no-no for Thanksgiving prep.
Yeah. Strain it and save it in a container with a lid. Best to store in the fridge. Then use it as you wish (roasted potatoes and veggies in that leftover fat 😋)
@@pvman2 Animal fat is different from plant oils in cooking. It’s better/safer - from grandmas’ wisdoms. Second, confit uses temperature much lower than frying. Third, your nose WILL tell you about rancidity. Forth, warm the fat FIRST - before adding the meat - to make sure the most insensitive nose will KNOW 😤😎😋🤣😂😅
I like turkey. I'm on a tiny budget, and wanted to get one of those small Butterball boneless turkey breast roasts yesterday, but they were too expensive. So I got two frozen cornish hens. I'll fix one at time. After thawing I can use my pressure cooker. I used to like the Jennie-O turkey roast that came in a baking pan, but I can't find them anywhere anymore. Luckily, I have a relative who is cooking a whole turkey, maybe she'll drop some by for me. I am much better at fixing the sides.
Sometimes it's also sold in the refrigerated/frozen section near the other meats. It would also be worth calling a butcher though, because I think it's one of those things that can be cheaper to get from them in a tub than a little jar at the grocery store.
I am going to give it a try; I had learned to cook Turkey by marinating it in olive oil, and cooking it in, adding poblano chilies, almonds, garlic heads, and all the bit from my Kitchen, however, cooking it with Confit sounds spectacular!!! Thank you and I'll come back with my news!
Heard Dan on NPR talking about turkey confit and found this video. For those of you who have prepared turkey this way, are you buying standalone turkey thighs, or do you break down the whole turkey and use the entire bird with this method?
This sounds awesome! Gonna give it a go...but one question: every turkey I buy these days is already in a brine solution in the bag. In that case, should I do the long seasoning step in your recipe, or will that result in way-too-salty meat?? Thanks for any tips!
@Ted Stonbely so there's actually a sous vide version that was developed and on the website. It's 1 cup fat split between 2 bags with half of the turkey in each. Then 158 for 16 to 20 hours
Dear Dan I watch you in PBS all the time I am impress with all the information and knowledge you have ,sometimes all this information goes over my head, I am festinated , but to me is so complicated I would not try to fallow your direction . I admire you but don’t dare !
great video, but you are wrong about why water burns you before oil will at the same temperature. It has nothing to do with the total amount of energy in the water/oil pots and everything to do with the relative heat conductance of the water and oil. Water is a better conductor of heat than oil, so it conducts heat to your finger faster, resulting in you getting burned quicker!
Been trying g to find a good way to cook some thighs for 4 people this Thanksgiving. None of us like white meat. This will be the technique and recipe I use! I’m going to add garlic and some onion chunks to the fat because garlic and onion confit sounds AMAZING! Thanks!!
love that sodium citrate shirt!!! it's a miracle hero ingredient in my kitchen. I make more than just queso with it, but of course that's where I started. it's great for almost any cheese sauce, though.
Fat IS a more efficient way to transfer heat to food, at temperatures in excess of the boiling point of water. Deep Frying is usually compared to roasting, not boiling in water. Because boiled meat is generally not great, because water has a tendency to leech flavor. Simmering is not boiling. At least as far as open air cooking methods go.
Any chance you could share a curing recipe for this confit that _isn't_ behind a paywall? I'd love to try it but I don't want to end up subscribing to a cooking site that I'll most likely not otherwise use.
You are an awesome reference and I love your little side comments Dan! I learn so much every time I watch your videos. "What if you made your chicken stock with vegetable oil, which sounds really gross, ..."
I have always loved deep fried turkey. Only issue with these methods is the lack of stuffing. However, I might try to confit a whole turkey in the deep fryer this year.
I suggest that you spatchcock the turkey. it is done by cutting out the backbone and placing it breast side up and pressing it down until the ribs pop and it becomes flattened. I roast mine this way because it cooks much faster and remains juicy. This way you can put it in a shallower pan to use less duck fat.
@@marksando3082I was thinking that it would be fun to do a whole turkey with the confit method but, like others mentioned, it would require a lot of duck fat. I mentioned that because it would fit in a shallower pan and require less duck fat..
I'm not a food nerd. But I am "real food curious", (I still eat boxed stuff from the supermarket and think its taste is fine.) I'm up to steaming produce without seasoning and am waiting for post COVID employment to buy my first masala box and atk cookbooks. From watching you all I'm at least familiar enough with cooking techniques and terms to follow a recipe on reasonable equipment. Thank you all.
@Ted Stonbely We can ask Dan. Or maybe the sous vide has that as a variation in their directions? Fat into bag, Meat into fat, bag - into the water of the same 140F (lower?) temp?
Amazing video! Can you freeze confit (turkey or otherwise) to preserve it even longer? It seems like a bit of an ordeal, so if I'm going to do it I'd rather do a whole bunch at once and make a day of it, then store some for the long term. Also, is traditional carnitas basically just confit pork? (Love the sodium citrate sweatshirt at the end there)
In France, duck confit comes in cans that are not refrigerated. They are good for many months, maybe even a couple of years. In this recipe, the meat is not airtight, so it's different. I'm not sure freezing is the way to go, though. Think of it like jam: removing all the air and making it airtight is probably a better solution than freezing it, if that's a possibility for you. When I make duck confit in France (I'm in the US now), I fry thinly sliced potatoes in the duck fat. They're the best potatoes I've ever had. They're sort of chewy and crunchy at the same time. It's not low-calorie or vegan, but it tastes good.
I saw someone else ask this question on a different confit video. Sounds like it should freeze just fine minus the fat. That’s what I’m going to do. Make a few extras, take them out of the fat, then freeze them individual for later. I’m the only meat eater in my house so having something I can pull out of the freezer when I feel like meat with dinner will be nice to have. Helen Rennie has a wonderful video for how to confit duck thigh and her suggestion for getting the crispiest skin is something I’m going to try to apply to my turkey pieces.
@@EmmanuelEytan you can freeze the fat separately for just those times. I did this confit recipe for Thanksgiving with turkey thighs and it was delish. I used evoo because it was much more economical and the leftover oil is so yummy. I strained it and refilled the bottles. I’m storing it in the fridge for now because I’m using it on everything!
Can a confit work on the stove top or does the heat all being on the bottom not work? Also every confit recipe I see is for dark meat. Is it good for the breasts as well? I'd like to butcher the turkey and then throw the whole thing in a pot on low submerged in fat. Would that work?
The point is not the cooking the the preserving beforehand. If you cook the turkey in a fryer, you'll get fried turkey. It may be nice, but it won't be same. This is turkey preserved in duck fat and then cooked in the oven. The thing is, turkey preserved in duck fat ("confit") is not an actual thing, so you have to make it yourself. According to this video, you have to preserve it for at least twelve days for this to work. Then, you just cook it in the oven for about fifteen minutes. If you've ever made duck confit, you'll know that it is already extremely tender and requires very little cooking.
This is a great lecture on the science of confit and cooking submerged in fat. However, I think we need an actual recipe and demo for making it in our own kitchens. Please and thank you.
Where do you get just Turkey thighs (other than buying multiple turkeys and throwing the rest out, lol)? Can this technique be used on the rest (breast, wings, legs)?
To reduce the amount of oil used, I’m going to try a turkey breast sous vide but add enough oil to the bag to surround the meat. I just wonder if there’s any point thought, because sous vide usually provides me with a moist tender breast anyway.
When he put the dutch oven in the oven he says at 200 degrees. Is that farenheit or celsius? I feel 200 is a bit too low if it's farenheit but too high if it's celisus ...
The property of interest in your fat vs. water experiment is not heat capacity, it's thermal conductivity. The water transfers its energy to your finger faster than oil so you feel the pain faster.
yeah, chemical engineer here, they totally mixed that up. Heat capacity has nothing to do with the heat flux, aka how much pain you would feel.
Yeah I was about to post this. I was trying to find heat transfer coefficients for cooking oils but they're not readily available it seems.
Heat capacity is the amount of heat a substance can hold right?
Had the same thought but... I only have a cursory knowledge of the physics involved. I was questioning my understanding (because I don't automatically assume the video I'm watching is wrong) so I'm glad to learn I'm not mistaken 😂
Agreed that it is not heat capacity. But I think a better parameter than either is the heat transfer coefficient (deals with convection and boundary layer properties) of the oil vs the water. Thermal conductivity of fluids is better applied when they are used as insulators, such as air in a double-paned window. Source: Mechanical Engineer who deals with heat transfer.
I made this last year. Truly the best turkey I’ve ever eaten.
Where did you source the turkey thighs? Did you use other cuts of turkey?
@@bettymackey379 Found them at a little bit more of an upscale grocery store. They were super affordable and already prepackaged. (Central Market in case you’re a Texan) 😄
@@kyleweeks1581 Did you use duck fat?
ua-cam.com/users/shortshpWKErw8flw?feature=share
@@bettymackey379 ua-cam.com/users/shortshpWKErw8flw?feature=share
Made this last year and it will be the only way I do Thanksgiving turkey forevermore!
Besides the excellent flavor,texture and juiciness,being able to make so much ahead is a huge plus.
I used lard and chicken fat,removed the concentrated liquid from the bottom of the pot for gravy and froze the fat ,all ready for this year.
Thank you for your entertaining education!
This is interesting!
Y’all should do a comparison on all the ways to cook a thanksgiving turkey! Roasted, deep fry, confit, etc!
I've made this a few times now and it's the best turkey I've eaten. It's now a requested meal around the holidays.
I've done this 3 times and boy, am I grateful. Yes, it's a bit of work, but soooooo worth it!
Where did you get the Duck Fat? Can that be bought in a store?
Can you share the proportions for the salt, onion, sugar, pepper and thyme brine?
Dan is by far my favorute presenter at ATK 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.
I would watch Dan boil water.
Yes Dan
definitely trying it this year! seems perfect for a small number of people, without worrying as much about quantity and will be super easy for leftovers!
Dan oh Dan, sir, you have given new life to cooking turkey!
Who would have thought that confit would be the avenue we travel to get to a new and easy way to change up our tradition humble turkey.
I've been deboning my turkey for a decade now. Easy carving and the bones make a killer stock for gravy and soup, but now with this new twist on an old delicious meal, we keep the bones in to extract flavor and keep it in the meat while cooking comfit. Brilliant, just brilliant!
This holiday season I see duck fat and confit in my future.
Thanks for the science lesson also, perfect. It all makes sense!
This was super informative and interesting, Thanks!
I made this turkey! But I did not make it for Thanksgiving I did it with a turkey breast and used that breast to make lunchmeat for my daughter (she is very picky) she loved it! This makes fantastic lunchmeat if your life skills are good enough to cut the meat thinly. Thanks Dan
Oh, just get a slicer now. 😉Will pay for itself back vs buying coldcuts
Great idea cuz the breast meat is typically bland and dry
You are entertaining and informative as Alton Brown (That's a compliment) in your own way. I love the science behind cooking. great job!
Fantastic work and I finally understand why cooking oil is different than water. Thank you
Does this work with Breast and remaining turkey as well?
That garlic confit was amazing. And it lasted a good long while in the fridge and I had garlic for all my recipes. Tasty time saver! The turkey looks lovely as well. And I just might need that Chevre shirt. Very fun!
I think this year I’ll stuff the garlic confit under the turkey skin before cooking
If I wear it to work, many of the young people will wonder what chevre is. If I wear it around people my age, they might wonder "goat" stands for. Either way, I have fun. (And it is the G.O.A.T. so yummy)
i'm convinced and inspired. I was going to sous vide my turkey this year but i'm glad i found your video. Confited will give me a similar outcome without involving plastic bags or circulators.
Where’s the white meat recipe for guests who don’t like food?
Second this. To serve picky eaters, I would like a recipe that confits the whole bird. Thighs, legs, and breasts, oh my!
Way too many people refuse to eat the dark meat. Sad, since it is the most flavorful part of the turkey.
"We ask them politely, yet firmly, to leave."
I love dark meat, no matter the bird. I have chicken thighs in the freezer and sometimes it's best just sauteed skin side down to start, flipping until it's around 170-180F, with not much more than salt, pepper and maybe the juice of a lemon if I have one on hand. :-) There are other ways to have that same thigh, but it's a way. :-)
This made me laugh so loudly it scared my dog. Well done.
@@JeremyGabbard ha ha ha ha ha!
I work in a hospital cafeteria, every other Monday we serve flavorless and dry "roast" turkey. I don't know how many people have commented how delicious it is and they wish they could make it like that for Thanksgiving. If our nasty turkey dinner is that delicious to them, how horrible is their Thanksgiving turkey? I tend to forget that most people couldn't cook an edible meal to save their life. I have a friend who's retired husband spent decades in food service, but everything that he's made is lackluster and everyone considers him a really good cook.
Say like when they mean recognize. Most don't work through understanding new tastes.
I have been wanting to try this for some time. After watching this video, I decided to just do it. I did a whole cut up chicken in lard. I just seasoned the pieces with a simple dry brine and let then set in the fridge overnight. I kept a couple of comparison pieces out and deep fried them. Oh my dear word! I could kick myself! Why have I never done this before? Well, truthfully, because it's a bit more trouble, but my Thanksgiving's turkey is going to be a winner this year. Thank you 😊
@@sandrah7512 My own spin on comfit. His recipe just inspired me to try it using cheaper items. Definitely going up a notch for Thanksgivings😊
How did the white meat turn out? Finding a small whole turkey is easier than finding just the thighs, and some people prefer the white meat. I was wondering why he didn't show making a confit of the whole turkey (or half of one). TIA
@@christinekaye6393 I was very impressed. There wasn't a single tough bite. I let it bake 6 hours and I could have taken the dark meat out at 5 hours. When I do turkey, I'm going to put the dark and light meat in different baking dishes. I'll test towards the 5 hour mark and see if turkey needs to go longer.
@@christinekaye6393 I let it cook 6 hours. The dark would have been ready in 5. I don't know if turkey will take longer.
@@christinekaye6393
He did praise both meats.
This video is teaser for the recipe on Cooks Illustrated. I believe there is a paywal. I have been getting their printed annual version as book for years. And where is this year’s?🤭
I've been thinking about using my sous vide device to maintain the cooking temp for my confit. For example, I would seal the duck leg in a bag with duck fat, and let that sit in a pot of water that's regulated by my sous vide device.
Dan is so adorable it’s hard to pay attention to the video but when I do his videos are really interesting and informative. Props to Dan and his team. And the merch is super clever. Especially GOAT. 2 meanings!
do we dry the chicken off before crisping up the skin?
I tend to eat turkey to get back a little, I was helping my cousin collect chicken eggs in her barn where she had turkeys also.
One of the turkeys didn't like me picking up the eggs and chased me all over the barn for what felt like forever.
So now I go for Turkey on the big holidays
this guy looks like the kitchen version of Ryan Reynolds
Yeah for a while I thought he was Ryan in disguise 😄
…but more handsome than Ryan Reynolds and far more talented!
Very funny! Dan and Ryan are the same person, so of course they look alike!
I love this! You had me at duck fat. Now I’m wondering how I could do this with a small whole turkey 🦃? Hmmm
Look into doing a boneless turkey.
@@goodsnpr That is a good idea… Adam Ragusea just published a video on exactly that.
Wondering about containers that are large enough to cook the turkey when covered in duck schmutz and storing the big bird for days?
the dutch oven itself
If the effectiveness of this method is due to slow transfer of heat (from the oil), wouldn't we get the same results from sous vide at a lower temperature? Also, Dan attributes loss of flavor in typical cooking methods to flavor molecules dissolving in the surrounding water. At any cooking temperature the meat will emit juices/steam, altho less at lower temps naturally. Wouldn't most loss of flavor be due to this? How would we test this?
I'm coooking one regular non-brined turkey and one Kosher turkey (which comes brined). How can I make this work? Obviously bagged separately. During the pre-brine my thought was the Kosher one would skip the salt and sugar but still pre-cure with the other things? Or just skip the pre-curing step for that one?
Informative ... but are you suggesting that you cook the entire bird by this method or only turkey parts?
Wondered the same!
Waiting for the answer as well.
Would it be easier if you deboned the turkey first or do you need the bones for flavor?
I don't like dark meat poultry so thighs are out of the question.
I'm going to try to break down a whole bird and try this.
@@CampStoneFox I am going to do the same thing.
Great question! I had the same thought and for some, carving the whole turkey tableside is part of the Thanksgiving experience.
Great presentation Dan! Natural and engaging. Thank you for the hard work.
Dan is the G.O.A.T.
Loving your channel from across the pond. I run a similar channel but with English food :)
Are you on You Tube?
Serious question:
Can the theory of this cooking method be applied to sous vide? For instance, placing a turkey or chicken breast in a bag full of fat and then using the water bath of the sous vide to hold it at 190°.
Would you get the same result as using an oven where the air touching a pot transfers heart into the fat and then the meat? Or would water more efficiently heat the oil and thereby change the result?
Also, does that salt cure work for chicken or would the recipe need to be adjusted?
When originally published in cook's, they gave both versions (this one and sous vide) side by side. The sous vide even had the benefit of requiring less duck fat, as it's more easily surrounded in the bag.
Sous Vide Everything has done multiple experiments of adding oils/fats to the bag with the meat they are cooking and what they’ve found is that the flavor of the meat is reduced. They hypothesized that the fat dilutes or draws out the flavors in the protein making it less tasty. I’m curious if confit has the same effect, or if those outcomes are a result of cooking it sous vide.
I would say either cook it sous vide or confit but not both. That would be a cool experiment if you split a chicken in half and cook it both ways and see which one is best!
I’m sure the salt cure would be great on chicken. But take my advice with a grain of salt as I do a lot of watching of cooking videos and just do some cooking.
Serious Eats found that duck confit was just as good sous vide. They recommended 155 for 36-40 hours, let the meat "cure" for 24 hours in the fridge, then crisp the skin. I imagine that method would work for dark meat on turkey as well.
The breast might need a shorter cook at that high a temperature though.
If you have never fried turkey at 375 degrees F in peanut oil in a turkey fryer then you don't know how good turkey can taste. It is incredible. It's also very dangerous to do. If you figure out a safe way the way I did then You've really got something. The risk is that oil will spill over the top of the fry pot and reach the heating element, often a propane burner. This will set the entire pot into flames and eating turkey will be the last thing on your mind. You'll be lucky if you don't get severely injured, killed, or burn your house down. You can reuse the oil but you have to bring it up to 400 degrees the second time. A 13 pound turkey takes about an hour. This method just blows away every other method.
BTW, if you are going to roast a turkey in an ove, my advice is to start with the breast side down. This allows the juices to drain into the white meat in the breast. Usually they tell you do do it the opposite way. That is why the white meat dries out and tastes like cardboard.
I've used a Masterbilt electric turkey fryer for years. It's very safe and can be used inside or out. The one I have limits the size to 14 lbs, but a newer version allows up to 20lbs. Hope this helps
For crisping, would it work to use a cooking creme brulee torch?
Does this work for heritage turkey?
Okay Dan, I tried this. I guess it tasted fine, but the hassle and additional cost is a drag. Takes up a lot of frig space, which is a no-no for Thanksgiving prep.
Question: What do I do with all the oil/fat once I'm done with the turkey? Is it safe to somehow save/store/reuse?
Yeah. Strain it and save it in a container with a lid. Best to store in the fridge. Then use it as you wish (roasted potatoes and veggies in that leftover fat 😋)
@@debbyd5729 How can one tell if starts to "go bad" or turn rancid? How many times can one reuse it?
@@pvman2
Animal fat is different from plant oils in cooking. It’s better/safer - from grandmas’ wisdoms.
Second, confit uses temperature much lower than frying.
Third, your nose WILL tell you about rancidity.
Forth, warm the fat FIRST - before adding the meat - to make sure the most insensitive nose will KNOW 😤😎😋🤣😂😅
The printed recipe says to put the dutch over uncovered in the oven, but the demonstration in the video has it covered. Which is the correct method?
I like turkey. I'm on a tiny budget, and wanted to get one of those small Butterball boneless turkey breast roasts yesterday, but they were too expensive. So I got two frozen cornish hens. I'll fix one at time. After thawing I can use my pressure cooker. I used to like the Jennie-O turkey roast that came in a baking pan, but I can't find them anywhere anymore. Luckily, I have a relative who is cooking a whole turkey, maybe she'll drop some by for me. I am much better at fixing the sides.
I'm not sure where you are from but I bought a whole frozen turkey yesterday for less than $6.00 at my local Food Lion
We like those turkey loafs also. We've had success finding them in Wal-Mart.
Celebrate Thanksgiving the following week. Buy a turkey once they go on sale. & They will. I bought a 14lb turkey for $12 a few years back
I read it as "best turkey you'll _never_ eat," and that seems like a vastly more interesting video.
Dan is the MAN!
How do you make the seasoning cure?
Where can you find duck fat? I don't think I've ever seen it in a store before. Thanks Dan for the super fun video!
Ever heard of Amazon?
Whole foods has duck fat clustered with other fats, like olive oil and vegetable oil. It is usually just to the side and a little higher up.
@@jokerproduction Why the sarcasm?
Sometimes it's also sold in the refrigerated/frozen section near the other meats. It would also be worth calling a butcher though, because I think it's one of those things that can be cheaper to get from them in a tub than a little jar at the grocery store.
I am going to give it a try; I had learned to cook Turkey by marinating it in olive oil, and cooking it in, adding poblano chilies, almonds, garlic heads, and all the bit from my Kitchen, however, cooking it with Confit sounds spectacular!!! Thank you and I'll come back with my news!
What do you do with the turkey breast and wings?
Heard Dan on NPR talking about turkey confit and found this video. For those of you who have prepared turkey this way, are you buying standalone turkey thighs, or do you break down the whole turkey and use the entire bird with this method?
This sounds awesome! Gonna give it a go...but one question: every turkey I buy these days is already in a brine solution in the bag. In that case, should I do the long seasoning step in your recipe, or will that result in way-too-salty meat?? Thanks for any tips!
I've made the sous vide version of this multiple times. Great recipe
@Ted Stonbely so there's actually a sous vide version that was developed and on the website. It's 1 cup fat split between 2 bags with half of the turkey in each. Then 158 for 16 to 20 hours
Maybe i missed it but did he explain why he didnt cook the whole turkey?
I thought this too. I may try this but I’ll break down a whole turkey like a normal person.
He was making a point how the turkey legs come out “dry” when roasted. Confit is a way around it.
Dear Dan I watch you in PBS all the time I am impress with all the information and knowledge you have ,sometimes all this information goes over my head, I am festinated , but to me is so complicated I would not try to fallow your direction . I admire you but don’t dare !
great video, but you are wrong about why water burns you before oil will at the same temperature. It has nothing to do with the total amount of energy in the water/oil pots and everything to do with the relative heat conductance of the water and oil. Water is a better conductor of heat than oil, so it conducts heat to your finger faster, resulting in you getting burned quicker!
Great video. Turkey is awesome when cooked with love.
can this be done sous vide?
The technicality info in this video is incredible, it really impressed me how I never consider the C factor in liquids
Been trying g to find a good way to cook some thighs for 4 people this Thanksgiving. None of us like white meat. This will be the technique and recipe I use! I’m going to add garlic and some onion chunks to the fat because garlic and onion confit sounds AMAZING! Thanks!!
Would you be able to confit pork tenderloin?
Can you do the confit with a pre-brined turkey?
love that sodium citrate shirt!!! it's a miracle hero ingredient in my kitchen. I make more than just queso with it, but of course that's where I started. it's great for almost any cheese sauce, though.
Great job, Dan! Very good job!
Wasn't expecting confit. Deboned is pretty good too
Fat IS a more efficient way to transfer heat to food, at temperatures in excess of the boiling point of water.
Deep Frying is usually compared to roasting, not boiling in water. Because boiled meat is generally not great, because water has a tendency to leech flavor.
Simmering is not boiling.
At least as far as open air cooking methods go.
Very interesting going to try. One ? Can left over oil be used again maybe to fry ?
You can use duck fat for frying but watch how it gets. It breaks down at a relatively low temp. But french fries fried in duck fat are amazing.
Any chance you could share a curing recipe for this confit that _isn't_ behind a paywall? I'd love to try it but I don't want to end up subscribing to a cooking site that I'll most likely not otherwise use.
You are an awesome reference and I love your little side comments Dan! I learn so much every time I watch your videos.
"What if you made your chicken stock with vegetable oil, which sounds really gross, ..."
Pretty engineer-y thermodynamic explanation!
I love turkey confit! We have been doing this for years!
Do you confit the white meat as well or just the dark? I see a lot of people asking the same question. TIA
@@christinekaye6393 We just do the thighs and legs. We are not fans of the white meat.
I wonder if you could do this for an entire turkey spatchcocked (albeit a small one)...
Is there a chance we can get a confit recipe for turkey breast? Unfortunately I have some loved ones who only eat white meat
Can you do like half duck fat-half veg oil ?
Dan, I can't find turkey thighs to purchase - only whole turkeys or turkey breasts. How did you source turkey thighs only?
My Wegmans has them. Check your bigger stores, Amish markets, etc.
Can you season the fat you're using for confit or is that useless ? Thanks anyway
I have always loved deep fried turkey. Only issue with these methods is the lack of stuffing. However, I might try to confit a whole turkey in the deep fryer this year.
Nicely done and a lot of fun! Thanks Dan!
Duck fat is hard to find. Is there alt for it?
I've learned something, thanks!
I suggest that you spatchcock the turkey. it is done by cutting out the backbone and placing it breast side up and pressing it down until the ribs pop and it becomes flattened. I roast mine this way because it cooks much faster and remains juicy. This way you can put it in a shallower pan to use less duck fat.
It's really weird that you're recommending spatchcocking when we clearly see in the video that they're not doing the whole bird in confit.
@@marksando3082I was thinking that it would be fun to do a whole turkey with the confit method but, like others mentioned, it would require a lot of duck fat. I mentioned that because it would fit in a shallower pan and require less duck fat..
My best friend and I made turkey au Cocotte last year for Thanksgiving. We might have to try turkey confit.
Can you do this with chicken as well?
Soo.... time to turn the turkey fryer into a tubby at low temp for a whole turkey?
Considering that duck fat goes for about $1/oz, I’ll stick to my roasting method, which hasn’t let me down on flavor or juiciness yet.
What would that method be 👀👀
Yo Richard we’re trying to learn stuff here. Tell us THE SECRET
Luddite. 😆 You can use the oil over and over and for many different things. Don't let your cheapness keep you from trying new things.
I'm not a food nerd. But I am "real food curious", (I still eat boxed stuff from the supermarket and think its taste is fine.)
I'm up to steaming produce without seasoning and am waiting for post COVID employment to buy my first masala box and atk cookbooks. From watching you all I'm at least familiar enough with cooking techniques and terms to follow a recipe on reasonable equipment. Thank you all.
I love turkey, it's my go to sandwich meat. And my family made the best turkey for Thanksgiving
Question. Can I cut the oven time in half and finish my turkey legs on the smoker?
Need rankings of duck fat alternatives because it can be hard to get if not planning ahead.
What is the amount for the ingredients for the cure?
In the description under mustard sauce. The link will take you to the page .
Can you use a turkey breat?
I love confit-ing sous vide. Requires a ton less fat and all around less messy IMO if you have the tools available
@Ted Stonbely
We can ask Dan.
Or maybe the sous vide has that as a variation in their directions? Fat into bag, Meat into fat, bag - into the water of the same 140F (lower?) temp?
Amazing video! Can you freeze confit (turkey or otherwise) to preserve it even longer? It seems like a bit of an ordeal, so if I'm going to do it I'd rather do a whole bunch at once and make a day of it, then store some for the long term. Also, is traditional carnitas basically just confit pork? (Love the sodium citrate sweatshirt at the end there)
In France, duck confit comes in cans that are not refrigerated. They are good for many months, maybe even a couple of years. In this recipe, the meat is not airtight, so it's different. I'm not sure freezing is the way to go, though. Think of it like jam: removing all the air and making it airtight is probably a better solution than freezing it, if that's a possibility for you.
When I make duck confit in France (I'm in the US now), I fry thinly sliced potatoes in the duck fat. They're the best potatoes I've ever had. They're sort of chewy and crunchy at the same time. It's not low-calorie or vegan, but it tastes good.
I saw someone else ask this question on a different confit video. Sounds like it should freeze just fine minus the fat. That’s what I’m going to do. Make a few extras, take them out of the fat, then freeze them individual for later. I’m the only meat eater in my house so having something I can pull out of the freezer when I feel like meat with dinner will be nice to have. Helen Rennie has a wonderful video for how to confit duck thigh and her suggestion for getting the crispiest skin is something I’m going to try to apply to my turkey pieces.
@@debbyd5729 That's a simple and great idea! If you make potatoes, you'd need some duck fat for that, but you can always get some independently.
@@EmmanuelEytan you can freeze the fat separately for just those times. I did this confit recipe for Thanksgiving with turkey thighs and it was delish. I used evoo because it was much more economical and the leftover oil is so yummy. I strained it and refilled the bottles. I’m storing it in the fridge for now because I’m using it on everything!
I learned so much! Thanks for this information. Yes, I'm a food nerd.
Can a confit work on the stove top or does the heat all being on the bottom not work? Also every confit recipe I see is for dark meat. Is it good for the breasts as well? I'd like to butcher the turkey and then throw the whole thing in a pot on low submerged in fat. Would that work?
So would this work cooking a whole turkey, like in a turkey fryer at lower temp?
The point is not the cooking the the preserving beforehand. If you cook the turkey in a fryer, you'll get fried turkey. It may be nice, but it won't be same. This is turkey preserved in duck fat and then cooked in the oven. The thing is, turkey preserved in duck fat ("confit") is not an actual thing, so you have to make it yourself. According to this video, you have to preserve it for at least twelve days for this to work. Then, you just cook it in the oven for about fifteen minutes. If you've ever made duck confit, you'll know that it is already extremely tender and requires very little cooking.
This is a great lecture on the science of confit and cooking submerged in fat. However, I think we need an actual recipe and demo for making it in our own kitchens. Please and thank you.
All behind paywalls. This was a commercial for ATK.
@@sandrah7512 I know. I was just stating fact. This wasn't a recipe video.
Where do you get just Turkey thighs (other than buying multiple turkeys and throwing the rest out, lol)? Can this technique be used on the rest (breast, wings, legs)?
To reduce the amount of oil used, I’m going to try a turkey breast sous vide but add enough oil to the bag to surround the meat. I just wonder if there’s any point thought, because sous vide usually provides me with a moist tender breast anyway.
Any adjustments to the recipe if using turkey drumsticks?
No. You can do thighs and legs the same way.
When he put the dutch oven in the oven he says at 200 degrees. Is that farenheit or celsius? I feel 200 is a bit too low if it's farenheit but too high if it's celisus ...
200 F. Confit is low and slow. Also, they're American.
I never had an issue with dry Chicken thighs. Chicken breast, however, dries out all the time.
The recipe link isn't working for me. Anybody else with the same issue?