For the highly organized, plan-ahead type cook, I have the perfect recipe for an elegant holiday meal. Do this now and you will be able to serve a glamorous dinner, seemingly without effort, for the winter holidays.

We enjoyed this confit of duck a few weeks ago when we visited former Kansans Betsy and Chuck Marvin in Atlanta. Betsy pulled the duck out of the refrigerator, warmed it, supplemented it with simple side dishes, and in no time we were eating this delicious meal.

Particularly for a small gathering, this dish is a natural for the holidays, when we strive to make our cooking special and have little time to do it.

This duck can stay in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. The French may push it past a month but Betsy suggests two weeks.

Confit refers to food, usually meat, that has been preserved in fat. The fat acts as a seal, so you must be certain the meat is completely covered in fat when it is stored in the refrigerator. During the refrigeration process, the flavors deepen and the meat grows more tender.

Betsy uses duck legs and thighs for her confit, although there is no reason a whole duck could not be used. In fact, in northeast Kansas, it might be easier to buy a whole duck than individual pieces. The duck should be cut up as you would for a fricassee.

Importantly, you can reuse the oil, which will build flavor over time. You may want to filter it by draining it through a coffee filter before storing it in the freezer for the next use.

Betsy notes that the meat will be rich: “Atop a bed of arugula and accompanied by a sharp cranberry, sour cherry or mustard relish, it makes a delicious first course. Because of its richness, it’s a good idea, first or main course, to balance the taste with something spicy, sour or bitter.”

Betsy’s confit of duck

4 sets of duck legs and thighs

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onion, sliced

1 tablespoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon sage or rosemary

2 carrots, cut into big pieces

canola oil

salt and pepper

In a shallow, wide dish, spread half of the chopped garlic and half the sliced onions, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and half the herbs. Place the duck pieces on top, and sprinkle again with salt, pepper and the remaining herbs. Place the other half of the onion and garlic on top of the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in refrigerator for two or three days.

Remove most of the skin and fat from the meat, place the skin and fat in a heavy pan over low heat to render the fat, up to 1 hour. When you have extracted as much duck fat as possible, let the fat cool. Place the duck, carrot, onions and garlic in a casserole dish barely large enough to hold them snugly. Pour the cooled duck fat over the meat and continue adding fat, switching to canola oil when the duck fat is used up, until the pieces of meat are completely covered. Bake in a 275-degree oven 2 hours or more, until the meat is extremely tender.

Once the dish has completely cooled, place it, covered, in the refrigerator for one or two weeks.

To serve, warm the dish until the fat has liquefied. Remove the duck and vegetables and pat off excess fat with a paper towel. The meat may be served warm or at room temperature, whole or shredded.

Makes 4 servings