Cascadian Coffee-Smoked Chxx Thigh Confit

Drawing from the mist-draped valleys of the Cascades, this dish celebrates the marriage of heritage-breed chicken and the terroir of our roastery’s ow...

4 servings
Pacific Northwest Cuisine
🔴Expert★★★★★
Aug 6, 2025
23 views

Ingredients

🥩

4 cups

Duck fat

clarified, plus extra for storage

🥩

60 grams

Single-origin espresso roast beans

coarsely cracked

🍎

1 cup

Wild blackberries

fresh or frozen

🥩

8 pieces

Heritage-breed chicken thighs

bone-in, skin-on, 6 oz each

🌶️

6 sprigs

Fresh thyme

🥬

1.5 pounds

Baby potatoes

fingerling or marble variety

📦

2 cups

Alder wood chips

soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

📦

4 cups

Stinging nettles

young leaves, gloves for handling

📦

2 pieces

Douglas-fir branches

fresh, 8-inch lengths

🥩

1 tablespoon

Champagne vinegar

🥬

1 teaspoon

Black peppercorns

freshly cracked

💧

2 tablespoons

Coffee-honey

infused with espresso grounds for 1 week

🌶️

3 tablespoons

Salal berry salt

or substitute with 2 tbsp sea salt + 1 tbsp dried cranberry powder

📦

1 piece

Shallot

minced

📦

2 tablespoons

Citrus rind

mixture of orange and Meyer lemon, microplaned

Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other

Instructions

Step 1
Begin 24 hours before service: Pat the heritage-breed chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels, paying special attention to the skin. This moisture removal is critical for proper curing and eventual skin crisping.
Step 2
Create the cure by combining salal berry salt, citrus rind, fresh thyme leaves (stripped from stems), and cracked black peppercorns. Massage this mixture thoroughly into every surface of the chicken, including under the skin where possible. The salt will begin breaking down proteins while the citrus oils perfume the meat.
Step 3
Arrange the thighs skin-side up on a wire rack set over a rimmed sheet pan. Refrigerate uncovered for exactly 24 hours. This dry-brining process concentrates flavor while the skin dehydrates—key for achieving glass-like crispness later.
Step 4
After curing, rinse the thighs quickly under cold running water to remove excess cure, then pat absolutely dry. Any remaining moisture will create steam during confit, preventing proper fat penetration.
Step 5
Prepare the coffee infusion: Heat duck fat in a heavy saucepan to 140 °F. Add coarsely cracked espresso roast beans, maintaining temperature for 20 minutes to extract coffee oils without bitterness. Strain through a coffee filter-lined mesh strainer. The fat should shimmer with mahogany tones and carry notes of dark chocolate and toasted nuts.
Step 6
Cold-smoke the thighs: Set up a cold smoker or use a smoking gun in a sealed container. Maintain temperature below 85 °F while smoking with alder wood chips for 45 minutes. The goal is flavor, not cooking—rotate thighs halfway for even exposure.
Step 7
Preheat oven to exactly 180 °F. This ultra-low temperature allows collagen to break down without tightening muscle fibers, creating the signature silk-soft texture.
Step 8
In a heavy braising pan or Dutch oven, arrange thighs skin-side up in a single layer. Pour coffee-infused duck fat over until completely submerged by 1 inch. The fat should be just warm enough to flow like liquid gold.
Step 9
Cover the pan with parchment pressed directly onto the fat's surface, then foil. Transfer to the 180 °F oven for 8 hours. Resist the urge to check—each opening drops temperature significantly.
Step 10
Test doneness by gently pressing the thickest part of a thigh; it should yield like soft butter with no resistance. Remove from oven and cool in the fat for 1 hour. The thighs can remain refrigerated in the fat for up to 1 week, flavor improving daily.
Step 11
For the glaze, combine wild blackberries, coffee-honey, minced shallot, and champagne vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, crushing berries with a spoon, until reduced to a syrupy consistency that coats the back of a spoon—approximately 12 minutes. Strain for a glossy finish.
Step 12
Prepare Douglas-fir-smoked potatoes: Parboil baby potatoes in salted water until just tender, 8 minutes. Drain and toss with a tablespoon of the coffee fat. Grill over Douglas-fir branches until blistered and perfumed with resinous smoke.
Step 13
Sauté stinging nettles: Wearing gloves, blanch nettles for 30 seconds in boiling water, then shock in ice water. Squeeze dry and sauté in 2 tablespoons of coffee fat until wilted and vibrant green.
Step 14
To serve: Remove thighs from fat, scraping off excess. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high. Sear thighs skin-side down for 90 seconds until the skin crackles like glass. Flip for 30 seconds to warm through.
Step 15
Brush thighs with blackberry glaze and serve immediately over the smoked potatoes and nettles, drizzled with additional glaze.

✨Chef's Tips

  • ★Temperature precision is everything: invest in an oven thermometer and maintain 180 °F ±2 °F. Even minor fluctuations can toughen the meat or prevent proper collagen conversion.
  • ★Reserve the coffee duck fat after cooking—it transforms into liquid gold for future sautés, with layers of espresso and smoke. Strain through cheesecloth and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
  • ★For restaurant-level plating, pull the confit from fat 2 hours before service and air-dry uncovered in the refrigerator. This creates an ultra-dry surface that sears to glass-like crispness while the interior remains spoon-tender.
  • ★If wild blackberries aren't available, substitute with equal parts blackberries and espresso-soaked dried cherries, rehydrated in warm coffee for 30 minutes. The combination mimics the wild berry's earthiness.
  • ★The Douglas-fir smoke is subtle but crucial—if branches aren't available, add 2 drops of food-grade Douglas-fir essential oil to the potatoes before grilling, or substitute with pine-smoked salt as a finishing touch.
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