chicken confit

Chicken Confit & Asparagus Pasta Rags

Like the chicken confit recipe I shared earlier this week, this recipe is also based off of a recipe in Emeril’s TV Dinners.

Because this recipe accompanied the chicken confit, it was the recipe I ever used that in. It just seemed like a safe first option. I’ve since gone on to experimenting with the confit in many other recipes which I’ll be sharing soon. But if you’re interested in trying out the confit for yourself, this would be a great starting point.

Chicken Confit & Asparagus Pasta Rags

1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 T. olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 T. olive oil
2 c. chicken confit
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb. lasagna noodles, fully cooked and drained
1/2 whole lemon

1. Place asparagus on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 3 minutes.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken confit, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onion is cooked.

3. When asparagus is roasted, cut into pieces. Stir into skillet with chicken and onion mixture. Stir in the cooked lasagna pieces just until combined. Remove from heat.

4. Just before serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top and toss to incorporate. Can be served cold or warm.

Some chicken confit questions answered:

The slow cooking of the chicken partnered with storing it in its cooking juices acts as a preservation method. This is why it has such a long shelf life in the refrigerator.
The chicken does not taste greasy at all when it is heated and combined with other ingredients. If you want to use the confit cold for a chicken salad, pat off the oils using paper towels or cheese cloth.
The texture of confit is slightly different than just baked chicken, as you can kind of see in the second picture above. Also, the chicken is full of flavor since it was slow cooked with garlic and spices.

This post is being linked to:

Food On Fridays at Ann Kroeker’s Blog
Recipe Swap at Grocery Cart Challenge
Hooked On… at Hooked On Houses
Frugal Fridays at Life As Mom

Chicken Confit

This recipe is a little different than those I usually share here. But is is so helpful and so perfectly stolen moment friendly that I knew I just had to post it.

I originally ran across this idea in Emeril’s TV Dinners and I knew it would be a great idea to implement in my kitchen. I love knowing that I have usable chicken in the refrigerator that requires no additional prep work all throughout the month.

For anyone not experienced with confit, I know this is going to sound a bit unusual. But trust me, it is so worth trying.

Chicken Confit

Bone in chicken pieces, whatever you prefer and as much as you want
Garlic cloves, at least 1 per piece of chicken
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 1 cup per pound of chicken)
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, rosemary, bay leaf

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a large, deep-sided baking pan. Place peeled garlic cloves on top of chicken. Pour olive oil over top to completely cover chicken. Add about 2 t. each Italian seasoning and rosemary and 1 or 2 bay leaves.

2. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 12 to 14 hours.

3. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool. Strain liquid in pan through cheese cloth or triple layer of paper towels.

4. Shred chicken. This should be super easy at this point. Place chicken in a large container suitable for storage. Pour the strained pan liquid over the chicken so that there is at least 1/4 inch oil above the chicken. Cover and store in the refrigerator. The chicken will stay good and be instantly usable for up to ONE MONTH. And the flavor is fantastic.

5. If you have extra strained liquid leftover, store that in the refrigerator also. You can use it like you would butter. It makes exceptionally flavorful gravy.

I have some great recipes that I’ve used the chicken confit in and I’ll be sharing some of those in the future.

So what do you think of this idea? Do you have experience with confit?