Squirrel Confit

Confit is a French technique that involves curing meat in salt, then cooking it slowly — submerged in fat — until it becomes meltingly tender. It's traditionally done with duck, but it works brilliantly with squirrel. The slow, low-temperature cooking breaks down the tough connective tissue in the legs and thighs without drying out the lean meat. The result is rich, silky, and falling-off-the-bone tender — a world away from the tough, chewy squirrel that gives the animal a bad name in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 8-12 squirrel legs and thighs (from 4-6 squirrels)
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed (optional)
• Olive oil (enough to fully submerge the legs, about 3-4 cups)
• Flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions

• Toss the squirrel legs with kosher salt, pepper, smashed garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Place in a container, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. This dry cure seasons the meat deeply and draws out moisture.
• After curing, rinse the legs briefly under cold water and pat very dry with paper towels.
• Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
• Place the squirrel legs in a single layer in a deep oven-safe dish or Dutch oven. Pour olive oil over the legs until they're fully submerged.
• Cover tightly with a lid or foil. Place in the oven and cook for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is extremely tender and pulls easily from the bone. The oil should never bubble — if it does, lower the oven temperature.
• Remove from the oven and let the legs cool in the oil for 30 minutes.
• To serve: remove the legs from the oil and sear skin-side down in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp the exterior. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Tips

The oil should never simmer. Confit is not deep frying. The temperature of the oil should stay around 200 to 225 degrees — hot enough to slowly cook the meat, but not hot enough to fry it. If you see bubbles, your oven is too hot.

Store the confit for weeks. After cooking, keep the legs submerged in the oil in a sealed container in the fridge. They'll keep for 2 to 3 weeks. The oil preserves the meat — that's the original purpose of confit.

Use the leftover oil. Strain it and use it for sauteing vegetables, frying potatoes, or starting your next confit. It's infused with garlic, thyme, and meat flavor.