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Classic Cassoulet Recipe

Classic Cassoulet

David Scott Allen I Cocoa & Lavender
This recipe is a perfect Sunday afternoon culinary project. Enjoy the warm, rich flavours on a cool-weather day with some red wine from France.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 8 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 14 oz Dried Cannellini Beans
  • 1 lb Pork Belly with the rind in one piece *
  • 1 large Carrot peeled and sliced
  • 1 medium Onion peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 4 Fresh Pork Sausages
  • Homemade Unsalted Chicken stock **
  • Bouquet Garnis of thyme and bay leaves
  • 4 Confit of Duck Legs
  • Rendered Duck Fat
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • fresh bread crumbs

Instructions
 

  • The day before serving, place dried beans in a ceramic bowl and cover with three inches of cool water.
  • Cover the bowl and soak the beans overnight.
  • Next day, trim the rind – couenne, en français – off the pork belly in one or two pieces. If your pork belly was already trimmed, ask the butcher for an additional rind – about 2 inches by 9 inches. **
  • Cut trimmed pork belly into 2-inch chunks and set aside.
  • Drain the beans and place them in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water.
  • Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, skimming the foam as it surfaces. Drain.
  • Wipe out the stock pot, return the drained beans, and cover with chicken stock. If you don’t have enough stock to cover, use water to make up the difference.
  • Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil.
  • Add the carrot, onion, and pork rind. Simmer for 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, heat one (1) tablespoon of duck fat in a large skillet.
  • Brown the sausages on all sides. Set aside.
  • Using the same fat, brown the pork belly pieces. Set aside.
  • After the beans have been simmering for an hour, season with salt and pepper.
  • Cut the browned sausages into 3-inch lengths and add to the pot along with the browned pork belly and the confit of duck legs.
  • Add two generous tablespoons of duck fat. Add more stock as needed to keep it from getting too dry.
  • Cook uncovered one hour longer.
  • Preheat oven to 275°F. Transfer the mixture to a «cassole» or a Dutch oven, sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs, and bake uncovered for 90 minutes.
  • Serve hot at the table.

Notes

*You will need 3 1/2 ounces of pork rind; freeze any remaining for a future cassoulet.
**In the American Southwest, this is the part that is deep-fried to make chicharrones.
*** it is important to use unsalted stock when cooking the beans; salting the beans before or while they cook will make them tough. We made stock using a roast chicken carcass, onion, and carrot. You can also simply use water instead of stock.
More Notes:
- You definitely need well-made sausages. Don't use standard store-bought ones - they contain too much gristle. Find a butcher near you who makes them and get the simplest available.
- I used pork belly, but many recipes called for pork shoulder, too. I might use a bit of both next time.
- Some recipes had no duck at all. I liked the confit - it added to the texture and flavor.
- Per Nicole's recommendation, do not skimp on the duck fat - it sounds like it will make it heavier but it doesn't. This is one area where I wasn't skeptical!
Keyword Duck Confit, Pork
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