What does confit mean?
Confit is a French culinary term referring to food — most classically duck, goose, or pork — that has been salted and then slowly cooked and stored in its own fat. Originally developed as a preservation technique in an age before refrigeration, confit allowed cooked meat to keep for weeks or months while becoming exceptionally tender and richly flavoured. In modern kitchens the term has broadened: vegetables such as onions, garlic, and tomatoes may be 'confited' in oil, and fruit may be cooked gently in sugar syrup. The word carries strong connotations of rustic French tradition, patience, and indulgence, and it appears frequently on restaurant menus and in food writing, where 'duck confit' has become something of a signature dish. Because it denotes both a preparation and the resulting dish itself, confit functions as a compact, evocative term that signals slow, careful cooking and deep, concentrated flavour.
nounA dish of meat, typically duck, goose, or pork, that has been slowly cooked and preserved in its own fat; more broadly, any food (such as fruit or vegetables) slow-cooked in fat or sugar.
- Meat, especially duck, goose, or pork, salted and slowly cooked in its own fat as a means of preservation and flavouring.
- By extension, other foods such as onions, garlic, tomatoes, or fruit slow-cooked in fat or syrup until soft and concentrated.
"The chef served duck confit with a crisp salad of bitter greens."
"Duck confit, with its meltingly tender flesh and crackling skin, is a cornerstone of Gascon cooking."
"She stirred a spoonful of onion confit into the sauce to deepen its sweetness."
The plural is rare; confit is most commonly used as a mass noun. 'Confits' appears chiefly when referring to several varieties or individual portions.
"The larder held an assortment of confits — duck legs, shallots, and preserved cherries."
Confit was originally a medieval preservation method — long before refrigeration, cooks kept meat edible for months by burying it in its own melted fat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of confit
Confit comes from the French verb 'confire', meaning to preserve, which itself derives from the Latin 'conficere', meaning to prepare or put together. The same Latin root gave rise to English words such as 'confection', 'confiture', and 'comfit', all connected with preserving or preparing food with sugar. The term entered English usage primarily through French cuisine, becoming widespread in English-language food writing in the twentieth century.
Related word forms
How confit is actually used
Confit is a culinary term of French origin, used mainly in food writing and restaurant menus. It is often treated as an uncountable or mass noun, though plural forms such as 'confits' appear when referring to different kinds. The extended use for vegetables or fruit cooked slowly in oil or sugar is well established in modern cookery.
Easily confused with confit
Comfit is a sweet confection of sugar-coated nuts or seeds, whereas confit is food preserved or slow-cooked in fat or sugar.