Lard or another animal fat such as duck or goose fatabout a qt
1fresh bay leaf
4clovesof garlic
A sprig of fresh thyme
Instructions
Season the pheasant thighs with ¼ teaspoon of salt each and a tiny sprinkle of cayenne. Allow the pheasant thighs to marinate like this overnight.
The next day, heat the oven to 250 degrees. Take a small baking dish, or even a small sauce pot and place the thighs in it. Cover the thighs with the lard, add the additional ingredients and place in the oven. Cook the thighs for 1 hour or until very tender.
Remove the pan with the thighs and allow to cool, making sure that the thighs are completely covered by the fat. Once the fat cools it will solidify. Trapped underneath the solid fat, the confit will keep for months, as long as nothing is protruding from the layer of fat.
When it's time to cook and eat the confit, gently reheat the dish, just enough to melt the fat and allow you to remove the confit.