Zingy lemon confit drumsticks with sage

What is confit?
Confit is an ancient method of preserving meats like goose, duck and pork by salting the cuts and then cooking them in fat at a low temperature for a few hours. A salt cure for at least one hour is important because it draws out moisture and replaces water with oil. The meat can be cooked in a 120C oven for at least three to six hours or heated on a low flame without allowing the oil to bubble. Once cooked through, the meat can be eaten as-is or packed into a tightly sealed jar and stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Lemon confit how-to
Besides meat, you can also make a confit from vegetables and fruits. One option is to make a lemon confit.

There are two methods for making a lemon confit
you can cook the lemons in oil at a low temperature or preserve them for two weeks using sea salt. For the first option, halve four lemons and squeeze out the juice into a small cup. Cut the lemon halves into thin slices, transfer to a saucepan with the lemon juice and cover with 2 cups of olive oil. Heat the contents on low heat for 20 minutes until tender. Transfer to a sterilized canning jar and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.To make the preserved lemon confit, sterilize your canning jar by boiling it in water for 10 minutes. Cut four lemons in half and pack the bottom of the jar with sea salt. Tightly pack in one lemon at a time and add extra sea salt between them. Be sure to cover the final layer with sea salt as well. After two weeks, remove the lemons and use a paring knife to peel off the skin, which is the only part you will be using. Cover the lemon peels with some water and bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Cut the peels into your desired size.

How to make garlic confit
A garlic confit can serve as a delicious topper for your next chicken dish. To make a confit, place a few peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover with your choice of fat or oil and cook on medium heat. When the oil starts to lightly simmer, reduce the heat and cook until tender. Do not allow the ingredients to boil.

Prefer to eat at home? Here’s our zingy lemon confit drumsticks with sage!
This slow-cooking recipe is a perfect weekend pick-me-up. Just round up the ingredients and let your oven do the rest.

What you’ll need

• 1 kg Cocorico chicken drumsticks
• 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of sage
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 150C.
2. Arrange the chicken drumsticks into a roasting pan.
3. Add the lemon slices and sage.
4. Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Pour in all of the extra virgin olive oil.
6. Bake in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours.
7. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 74C.