This article appears in the Spring 2025 issue
Duck Confit and Wild Rice
Ducks and wild rice are as comfortable together on your dinner plate as they are in the wild! The wild rice, a semi-aquatic grass, is mostly found along riverbanks where the water is shallow and the currents slow. This habitat provides cover and nourishment and the perfect resting place for ducks and other migrating waterfowl in migration.
Wild rice is native to North America and is considered a sacred food to many indigenous people. It is a healthy option for humans as it is high in fiber and protein and enjoyed for its nutty flavor and chewy texture. The largest stand of wild rice along the Connecticut River is at Whalebone Cove in Old Lyme, Connecticut, home to several rare marsh plants.
This duck confit recipe is not a traditional method but delivers the same end result. It does, however, take time—but is worth the investment. Besides curing in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours, the cooking time will take about three hours.
The rice is a pilaf which means it is cooked with some aromatics such as onion, garlic, or shallot and then finished with a cooking liquid like water or stock.
Duck Confit
4 moulard duck legs, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed bay leaf
Mix together the salt, pepper, thyme, and crushed bay leaf. Rub this dry mix all over the duck legs, place them in a container, seal with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Tuck the duck legs skin-side-down into an ovenproof skillet. On the stovetop over medium-high heat, allow the fat to render for 10 to 20 minutes. You are looking for a crisp skin and ¼ inch of rendered fat.
Flip the legs over. Remove 2 tablespoons of fat and reserve for the rice pilaf. Leaving the remaining fat in the skillet with the duck legs, cover the pan with foil, and roast in the oven for 2 hours.
Remove the foil, and roast for another 30 minutes until golden.
Remove duck from fat; reserve fat for future use.
Rice Pilaf
1/4 pound wild rice
4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
4 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons reserved duck fat
1/2 cup minced onions
1/4 cup toasted nuts such as sliced almonds, walnuts, or pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cup chicken or duck stock
1 cup mushroom broth from porcinis (see below)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
To Cook:
Soak the dried porcini in 1 cup hot water for 20 minutes, then chop and reserve the liquid. Heat the 2 tablespoons of rendered duck fat in a saucepan. Add onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add rice, chopped mushrooms and their liquid, and chicken stock. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add in cranberries and cook for another 15 minutes. When ready to serve, mix in toasted nuts and top with parsley.
To Plate:
Arrange 1 or 2 duck legs on a bed of rice with a small citrus-dressed arugula salad. For a little extra sparkle, drizzle the duck leg with a little maple syrup or add a dollop of homemade cranberry sauce!
Melody Tierney is an avid foodie and enjoys sharing her passion with others. A former bed and breakfast owner in Southampton, New York, she and her husband Phil were featured as an Inn of the Month in Travel and Leisure magazine.
Wild rice growing in Whalebone Cove in the Connecticut River estuary. Image Credit: Friends of Whalebone Cove.