Duck Confit with Cherries, Apples, and Chickpeas

SERVES 4

When I’m thinking up with a dish, I always stick to a simple rule: “Would the animal I’m cooking eat the ingredients I’m preparing it with or live near the ingredients?” So this combination works. Any well-made and delicious store-bought confit will do here. Who wants to make confit at home anyway!

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1 apple

2 to 3 small shallots

2 pieces duck leg confit

⅓ cup pig ears confit or bacon (optional)

2 tablespoons cooking oil or duck fat

Fleur de sel

1 sprig thyme

One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas or navy beans

Olive oil

2 cups borage or sunflower sprouts

Black pepper

10 to 12 sour cherries

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the apple in quarters and remove the core. Peel the shallots and cut in half. Julienne the pig ears or bacon (if using).

Heat a large oven-safe pan (ideally around 12 inches long) over medium heat with a small amount of oil or duck fat until it starts to shimmer, but not so hot that it smokes. Place the duck legs, skin side down, in the pan, pressing lightly to get as much contact as possible with the hot surface. Add the pig ears and shallots (cut side down), and salt lightly.

Place the pan in the oven. Add the apples and thyme sprig after 10 or 15 minutes, and keep cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the duck skin is crisp and the shallots are cooked through.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Toss them with a bit of olive oil and salt.

When the duck, shallots, and apples are ready, carefully remove them from the pan and drain the excess oil. Cut the duck legs in two across the joint.

Put a generous handful of borage on each plate. Divide the duck legs, shallots, and apples evenly among the plates. Top with the chickpeas and pig ears (if using). Salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a few sour cherries on each plate.