Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.

Building Blocks of Charleston Cuisine is a series that celebrates the connection between the Lowcountry and its vibrant food scene. Each week features a dish, restaurant, or chef that’s played a role in keeping the region’s culinary history alive.

The duck breast and confit leg duo is a popular dish at High Cotton, located in downtown Charleston. Provided

The duck breast and confit leg duo is a popular dish at High Cotton, located in downtown Charleston. Provided

There’s the exposed red brick that embraces the dining room, the dark wood and leather of the bar area, the graceful ceiling fans and even the tall windows that look out on East Bay Street. Everything about High Cotton is imbued with a sense of Southern sophistication, and of course, the food is like that too — somehow familiar, comforting and elevated all at the same time.

A landmark of the downtown Charleston fine dining scene since 1999, High Cotton is one of the establishments that helped the Holy City build its reputation as a regional food capital. In the kitchen, Chef William LeaMond and the staff continue to carry on that legacy with dishes like the duck breast and confit leg duo, which manages to both live up to the standard of a white-tablecloth restaurant while still sticking close to its coastal roots.

The duck leg is prepared via the confit method, which involves curing and slowly cooking in fat at low temperature; the High Cotton confit process uses equal parts garlic rosemary and salt sugar, according to LeaMond. Meanwhile the duck breast is slowly rendered, which means it’s primarily cooked skin-side down in a pan to release much of the fat while crisping the outside. The duck is then flipped over for a short time, and served cooked to order.

The South Carolina coast has long been a haven for ducks migrating down from the Great Lakes and wetlands in the upper Midwest. Pursuing duck for food goes back to the Native Americans, who fashioned primitive waterfowl decoys that would eventually amaze the first European settlers with their effectiveness, according to The Charleston Museum.

The High Cotton duck breast and confit leg are paired with a side item that also harkens back to Lowcountry culinary history: barbecue sea island red peas. According to LeaMond, the peas are cooked like traditional baked beans using brown sugar, hot sauce, mirepoix (a mixture of sautéed chopped vegetables) and tomato paste. The duck breast is topped with a traditional chimichurri made of mint, chive, parsley, shallot, garlic, lemon, olive oil and red wine vinegar.

The final result is a pastiche of colors and textures, with the green of the chimichurri mixing with the copper of the barbecued peas, and the glistening rendered duck breast sitting alongside the golden brown of the confit leg. And High Cotton manages to find that delicate balance of elegance and comfort once again.

Building Blocks of Charleston Cuisine is a series that celebrates the connection between the Lowcountry and its vibrant food scene. Each week features a dish, restaurant, or chef that’s played a role in keeping the region’s culinary history alive.

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