This is a popular way of using up duck carcasses once you have removed the breast fillets - maigrets -and the legs which can be used for confit de canard.
At one time we had lots of ducks to process so I saved all the fat and used the carcasses to make rillettes.
This recipe uses just one duck and it all goes into the rillettes which is why you have to add fat as the breast meat is quite dry.
Makes roughly four pots
Take one large duck with all the fat if possible from the cavity. Chop into pieces, including legs and breast.
Put duck bits in a bowl and sprinkle pieces sea salt - don't overdo the salt at this stage and a couple of spoons of brown sugar, some mixed spice,cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, two bay leaves and a little dried thyme or fresh thyme but not too much as it's quite pungent and you want a balanced flavour here.
Leave the meat to marinate for a couple of hours.
Melt some duck fat in a big pan and place the pieces in it.
Don't fry them just keep the heat should constantly low so that all the fat melts and gradually the meat cooks very slowly and falls off the bones. This process will take a few hours. Stir it from time to time and make sure it does not burn at the end of the cooking. At first you get duck juices but then the water evaporates and you're left with meat and fat.
The meat is ready when its really soft and easy to pick off the bones.
Leave it to cool until you can handle it. Remove all the meat from the bones and mix by hand the meat with the fat. Add 500g of fresh unsalted butter. Work the meat with your hands until you have a fine paste with not many fibres and no bones or bits left. You squeeze it in your hands until its smooth.
Taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust salt if necessary.
Put the mixture into jars and pour some melted butter or fat on top.
If you want to keep them for more than a couple of weeks, sterilise the jars in a water bath for an hour and a half or 30 mins in a pressure cooker. Use the preserving jars with rubber rings for this.
Otherwise serve the rillettes cold on hot toast or bread and a few gherkins if you like them.
Cost approx £8 for the duck and £2.50 butter. 4 pots would cost you at least £24 in the shops and would never be as nice.
Tried them: they are excellent. You have to go to France to buy some of the same quality. They are delicious on toasted bread with morning coffee, or as a starter to lunch and dinner, with a nice red wine.
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