confit
kohn-FEE
/kɒ̃ˈfiː/
Food (traditionally meat, but also vegetables or fruit) cooked slowly in a liquid (such as fat or sugar syrup) at a low temperature for preservation and flavor.
It implies a slow, gentle poach in fat, resulting in incredibly tender textures, distinct from high-heat frying.
The story behind the word. Derived from the French verb 'confire,' which comes from the Latin 'conficere' (to prepare or make). Historically, it was an ancient preservation method in southwestern France. Meat was salted, cooked slowly in its own fat, and then packed into stone jars sealed with a thick layer of fat to exclude air.
Word relationships
- slow-preserved: Slow-preserved is a descriptive English phrase, while confit is the specific French culinary term that implies cooking submerged in fat or syrup.
- flash-fried: Flash-fried involves cooking food extremely quickly in very hot oil, the opposite of the slow, low-temperature confit process.
Commonly confused with
- deep-frying: Deep-frying cooks food rapidly in hot oil (typically 175°C-190°C) to make it crispy, while confit cooks food very slowly in warm oil or fat (typically 85°C-90°C) to make it tender.
Collocations
- duck confit
- garlic confit
- confit method
Example sentences
- "The duck confit was remarkably tender, with the meat effortlessly pulling away from the bone." Describing a classic French dish.
- "We decided to confit the cherry tomatoes in olive oil with garlic and thyme to concentrate their sweetness." Explaining a modern vegetable preparation.
Memory hook
Confit sounds like 'comfort.' Cooking food slowly in warm fat is like giving it a warm, comforting bath. Slow-cooked in a bath of warm fat.
When not to use
Do not confuse with deep-frying, which uses hot oil to create a crispy exterior, or boiling, which uses water.
Fun facts
- While meat confit uses animal fat, fruit confit (confit d'ananas, etc.) uses a thick sugar syrup to achieve the same preservation effect, resulting in candied fruits.
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