Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Duck Confit
- 4 duck legs, bone-in, skin-on
- 30 g coarse salt
- 4 garlic, crushed
- 5 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 500 ml vegetable oil
Doughnut Dough
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 120 ml whole milk, warm
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened
- 4 g salt
Spicy Ketchup
- 100 ml tomato ketchup
- 15 ml sriracha
- 10 ml rice vinegar
Kohlrabi Slaw
- 200 g kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
- 100 g carrot, peeled and julienned
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- 15 ml olive oil
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 667 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 41 g
- Fat
- 48 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 2014 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 114 mg
- Potassium
- 446 mg
- Calcium
- 57 mg
- Iron
- 3.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 35 mg
- Phosphorus
- 233 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 275 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.38 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.34 mg
- Niacin
- 5.0 mg
- Folate
- 54 mcg
- Water
- 110 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Rub the duck legs evenly with coarse salt, crushed garlic, and fresh thyme. Ensure strict handwashing and separate cutting boards when handling raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.
Place the seasoned duck legs in a non-reactive container, cover tightly, and rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F. Thoroughly rinse the duck legs to remove excess salt and pat them completely dry. Place them in a roasting pan and submerge fully in the vegetable oil.
Carefully remove the duck legs from the hot oil and let cool slightly. Remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat finely. Ensure the meat reached a safe internal minimum temperature of 74°C/165°F during the braise.
Divide the shredded duck meat into eight equal portions. Press and shape each portion tightly into a solid ball. Place the balls in the refrigerator to chill and firm up for 1 hour.
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, sugar, flour, egg, and salt. Knead until a rough dough forms, then gradually incorporate the softened butter until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide it into eight equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disc, place a chilled duck confit ball in the center, and wrap the dough entirely around the meat. Pinch the seams tightly to seal.
Place the sealed buns seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and proof for 45 minutes until noticeably puffed.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Bake the buns until the dough is a deep golden brown and the exterior is crisp to the tap.
While the buns bake, use a mandoline slicer or sharp knife to julienne the kohlrabi and carrots. In a mixing bowl, toss the vegetables with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt to taste.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato ketchup, sriracha, and rice vinegar to create the spicy ketchup.
Transfer the warm baked duck buns to plates. Serve immediately alongside a generous portion of the crisp kohlrabi slaw and a ramekin of spicy ketchup for dipping.
Chef's Notes
- Chilling the shredded duck balls is non-negotiable; if they are warm, the butter in the doughnut dough will melt during shaping, destroying the texture of the bread.
- If available, substituting traditional duck fat for the vegetable oil during the braise will amplify the savory depth of the duck confit.
- Do not dress the kohlrabi slaw until immediately before serving. The salt in the dressing will extract moisture from the kohlrabi, causing the slaw to pool liquid and lose its signature crispness.
- If your kitchen is particularly warm during the dough proofing, monitor the dough visually rather than strictly by the clock to prevent over-proofing, which leads to a yeast-heavy flavor and flat buns.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store buns and slaw separately. Slaw will lose crispness over time.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze fully baked and cooled buns in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat buns in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 8 to 10 minutes until the exterior is crisp and the center is warm.
Troubleshooting
Doughnut buns burst open during baking
Cause: The dough seams were not pinched tightly enough, or the duck balls were too warm when wrapped
Fix: Cannot be fixed aesthetically, but the buns remain perfectly edible.
Prevention: Ensure the duck balls are completely chilled and firm before wrapping, and aggressively pinch the dough seams closed, baking them seam-side down.
Duck meat is excessively salty
Cause: The cure was left on too long or not rinsed off thoroughly before cooking
Fix: Cannot be fixed in the meat itself, but you can omit all salt from the slaw and ketchup to balance the final bite.
Prevention: Adhere strictly to the 12-hour curing time and rinse the legs under cold running water thoroughly before patting dry.
Cultural Context
Duck confit is a classic preservation technique originating from the Gascony region of France, historically used to keep meat safely stored before the advent of refrigeration. By combining this intensely savory, tender meat with an enriched, slightly sweet baked doughnut bun, this recipe bridges traditional French charcuterie methods with modern, street-food-inspired flavor profiles. The addition of a sharp, acidic kohlrabi slaw and an Asian-inspired spicy ketchup cuts through the profound richness of the duck and dough.
