Mr McGee,
First I would like to thank you for finding the time to answer question here on Cheftalk.It is a special treat to have you with us.
I anxiously awaited your revised book last year, and am blown away by the depth of information. I kid with my peers that I spent three hours just reading about dairy, and I have found your book a great tool/resource for my students.OK, enough brown nosing. My question/questions have to do with confiting foods. The two people who I feel I learned the best lesson of this technique was when i was working with Christian Bertrand of Lutece, and studying under Madeleine Kamman.Boths approach to the technique were quite different, but both with excellent results. The only common theme in there preparation was neither used T.C.M.
Christian cure was basically only salt, and he cured for 24 hours.
Madeleine's cure was always 36 hours and she used certain spices like cumin,allspice,nutmeg, ginger cardamom,cinnamon Etc.Eluding to the spice trade that went through Europe hundreds of years ago. So these spices where adapted.
As far as cooking, Christian used the stove top, and Madeleine used the oven.Both would cook the confit at about 250/275 F. First question on temperature. Are those to high? Isn't the duck almost frying at that temp?I have played around with temps and I have found cooking the protein at poaching temperature (around 160/170 F)for 3to4 hours results in an amazing product. Is this safe?Also, how long do you feel you can safely hold confit in it's fat before you have to renouveler? 6 months, less, more?And the fat, how many applications can one use it for before it becomes unsafe? I usually go 4 times.
Last question...your thoughts, pro/con with T.C.M.
Thank you very much for your time.
First I would like to thank you for finding the time to answer question here on Cheftalk.It is a special treat to have you with us.
I anxiously awaited your revised book last year, and am blown away by the depth of information. I kid with my peers that I spent three hours just reading about dairy, and I have found your book a great tool/resource for my students.OK, enough brown nosing. My question/questions have to do with confiting foods. The two people who I feel I learned the best lesson of this technique was when i was working with Christian Bertrand of Lutece, and studying under Madeleine Kamman.Boths approach to the technique were quite different, but both with excellent results. The only common theme in there preparation was neither used T.C.M.
Christian cure was basically only salt, and he cured for 24 hours.
Madeleine's cure was always 36 hours and she used certain spices like cumin,allspice,nutmeg, ginger cardamom,cinnamon Etc.Eluding to the spice trade that went through Europe hundreds of years ago. So these spices where adapted.
As far as cooking, Christian used the stove top, and Madeleine used the oven.Both would cook the confit at about 250/275 F. First question on temperature. Are those to high? Isn't the duck almost frying at that temp?I have played around with temps and I have found cooking the protein at poaching temperature (around 160/170 F)for 3to4 hours results in an amazing product. Is this safe?Also, how long do you feel you can safely hold confit in it's fat before you have to renouveler? 6 months, less, more?And the fat, how many applications can one use it for before it becomes unsafe? I usually go 4 times.
Last question...your thoughts, pro/con with T.C.M.
Thank you very much for your time.