Confit—a word that’s come to mean long, slow cooking in fat—is straightforward, though you might associate it with fancy food. You have a few choices for the fat: Render your own, purchase duck fat from a specialty store or online, or use olive oil. The last solution is perfectly acceptable, though it won’t leave you with the delicious leftover duck fat to use for cooking.

Whatever you use for fat, after making the confit, strain the fat and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for weeks or the freezer for months; it’s the best for cooking eggs or potatoes, or tossing with pasta, egg noodles, or rice.

I like to eat duck confit with something sharp or acidic (or both) like a salad with frisée or radicchio; add a crumble of blue cheese and a handful of hazelnuts and I’m all set. Confit is also excellent sautéed with cooked white beans for a fast skillet cassoulet.