Name: Confit duck parmentier with chestnuts and porcini mushrooms
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Southwest France
Ingredients: 800 oz ofduck confit; 40 oz ofdried porcini mushrooms; 1/2 flat-leaf parsley; 2 onions; 4 garlic; freshly ground pepper; 600 oz ofpotatoes (suitable for mashing, such as Bintje); 400 oz ofchestnuts (or plain boiled chestnuts); 60 oz ofbutter; 20 fl oz ofmilk

main courses baking kitchen cabinets pan-frying prepared in advance

Updated on 26 November 2025 by

ratatouille

5 reviews 4.1 : Very good

Cuisine

Southwest France

Level

Easy

Preparation

40 minutes

Cooking

50 minutes

As a true native of Toulouse, I’d been wanting to make my own duck Parmentier for quite some time. I’d already had the chance to enjoy this dish at a restaurant, and it had left a lasting impression on me…

So here it is: today I’m sharing an original variation I made recently—a duck confit Parmentier with chestnuts and porcini mushrooms, inspired by a recipe from Elle à Table magazine.

For this recipe, you won’t need any fresh ingredients, aside from butter and parsley (optional). So you can make it anytime. Nothing could be more convenient for impressing your family or guests with a gourmet dish, prepared with ingredients straight from the pantry!

When served, the chestnut and potato purée, delicately flavored with the duck juices, pairs perfectly with the duck and porcini mushroom stew.

For the record, the Parmentier hash takes its name from the apothecary Antoine Parmentier. During a period of food shortages in the 18th century, he was convinced that the potato could help the population. So he created a recipe based on mashed potatoes and ground beef, which he had Louis XIV taste…

It must have been a hit, since this dish is now part of our national heritage!

For

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For the mashed potatoes
21.2 oz of potatoes suitable for mashing, such as Bintje
14.1 oz of chestnuts or plain boiled chestnuts
2.1 oz of butter
6.8 fl oz of milk

1
Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with cold water to rehydrate them.
2
Place the duck legs in a skillet and heat them over medium heat.
3
While the fat is melting, slice the onions and peel and mince the garlic.
4
Once the fat has completely melted, remove the thighs and set the fat aside. Using two forks, remove the skin from the duck and shred the meat into small pieces.
5
Sauté the onions over medium heat in two tbsp of duck fat. Meanwhile, rinse the porcini mushrooms twice if necessary, squeeze them in a colander to drain them, and add them to the onions.
6
Let it cook for another minute or two, then add the duck meat and the crushed garlic cloves. Stir everything together and season to taste.
Personally, I don’t add salt, since the confit is already salty, but I like to spice up this dish with some freshly ground, aromatic pepper.
7
Let all these ingredients simmer over low heat for a full 5 minutes.
8
Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes: peel them and cut the larger ones in half.
Cook them in salted water for about 30 minutes or half that time in a pressure cooker. Add the chestnuts when the potatoes are two-thirds done, i.e., after 20 minutes in boiling water, or 5 minutes in the pressure cooker.
9
Once the duck is cooked, add the chopped parsley and set aside.
10
Check that the potatoes are fully cooked by inserting the tip of a knife.
Drain the cooking water, then mash the potatoes and chestnuts with a potato masher.
11
Add a tbsp of the duck cooking juices, 50 g of butter, and the milk.
Mix well until you have a smooth purée, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
12
Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Choose a large baking dish and press the ground duck mixture firmly into the bottom of the dish using the back of a spatula or a tbsp.
13
Next, spread the purée in an even layer, and gently smooth it out with the back of a tbsp.
14
You can then finish off this parmentier by running the tines of a fork through the mashed potatoes.
15
Cut 10 grams of butter into very small cubes, about half a centimeter on each side, and arrange them evenly over the mashed potatoes.
16
Bake for 20 minutes and serve piping hot.