Confit d’oie is one of those legendary preparations of French country cooking which has been made for centuries. Pieces of goose or duck preserved in fat still play a considerable role in much of the cooking of south-west France, most notably in cassoulet. As with several other foods that are still made as a matter of course in farmhouses, confit d’oie is expensive to buy, yet is simple and satisfying to make at home. I find the ideal time to preserve goose or duck in this way is during January when there is a supply of Christmas goose fat to hand. At other times pork fat can be used just as well.