To confit means to poach an ingredient in fat or oil. It is a classic French technique that is usually associated with duck legs but the firm texture of cod is also well suited to this gentle method of cooking. Confiting cod in oil accentuates the supple, tender texture of the fish and enhances the richness of the flavour.
Choose thick pieces of cod, preferably from the top of the loin, for even cooking
The oil can be infused with ingredients such as garlic, thyme or fennel to flavour the fish.
Salmon, pollock, hake or sea bass can also be cooked in this way though the times and temperatures will vary.
Confit cod can be served in the same way as pan-fried or roast cod or try Nuno Mendes’s Confit cod with egg yolk and saffron or Pascal Aussignac’s Confit line-caught cod with juniper ashes, butternut squash and liquorice sabayon.