Confit Turkey

3 kg turkey legs (about 8)
15 g salt/kg or for longer storage, 50 g salt/kg

Confit Oil
1 tablespoon peppercorn
1 tablespoon juniper berries
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 garlic bulb
12 pickling onion
10-12 bay leaves
2 L sunflower oil

Rub salt into the turkey legs. Let marinade for 30 minutes to 2 hours for eating within a week. For longer shelf life, cure for 36 hours to 3 days at 4 degrees Celsius in the fridge.

Rinse and pat dry with tea towel.

Confit 12-15 hours at 60 degrees Celsius in a 5L crocotte with lid.

Cool. Transfer to a seal container and store in the fridge.

To use, remove legs from the oil and roast at 220 degrees Celsius until the skin crisp.

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Confit Abalone

150 g abalone
500 mL olive oil
1 tablespoon ginger slivers
1 onion
1 garlic
1/2 cup chopped scallions

Stephanie Alexander:
Confit at 125 degrees Celsius for 3-4 hours until soft as butter

Neil Perry:
Confit at 60 degrees Celsius for 2-2.5 hours.

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Confit Chicken

500 g very fresh organic chicken breast (2 pieces)
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
500 mL olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions

1. Marinade chicken in sugar and salt for 15 minutes.
2. Rinse off marinate and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Heat oil and scallions to 100 degrees Celsius. Watch for bubbles.
4. Pour over the chicken in a ceramic dish. Cover.
5. Cook in an oven preheated at 60 degrees Celsius for 2-2.5 hours.

Can store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

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Abalone

Export quality green lip abalone from Australia sells for $175 per kilogram. Most oriental dishes with abalone require braising or boiling for several hours to achieve the tender melt in the mouth texture. Canned abalone is often recommended in recipes.

Fresh abalone needs scrubbing to remove the green and/or black coating. When cleaned, the abalone looks creamy white. Before cooking, tenderizing with a mallet is recommended.

Thin slices of fresh abalone needs only a few seconds in a hot pan to cook. Should the abalone turn rubbery on over cooking, convert the dish into a soup or continue with braising.

Abalone is easy to confit in a flavoured oil. Chef Neil Perry's recipe cooks at 60 degrees Celsius for 2 to 2.5 hours, while Chef Stephanie Alexander's "Cooks Companion" indicates 125 degrees Celsius for 3-4 hours. The abalone texture at the end should be "soft as butter".

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