Name: Cassoulet with Duck Confit
Yield: Makes 12 main-course servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 whole cloves, stuck into one of the onions; 2 medium onions, peeled; 1 bouquet garni (3 sprigs thyme, 3 sprigs parsley, and 1 imported bay leaf, tied together with kitchen twine); 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 4 cylinders; 6 cups brown duck broth, chicken broth, or water, or more as needed; 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, or if difficult to find, 4 pounds pork shoulder chops; 1 pig’s foot, halved lengthwise (ask your the butcher to do this; optional); 4 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs, made from 1 loaf dense-crumb white bread; 1 raw or precooked duck sausage, 12 inches by 2 inches or store-bought garlic sausage (if the sausage is too long for your pot, cut it in half); 12 confit duck legs; 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste; 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled, plus 1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole; 2 pounds (4½ cups) dried white beans, such as borlotti, cannellini, or great Northern

Preparation info

Makes
12
main-course servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Duck Cookbook

By James Peterson

Published 2003

About

A cassoulet is really just a French version of baked beans. But what beans they are! Duck confit or braised duck legs are nestled into the beans, and the whole concoction is baked. Bread crumbs are sprinkled over the cassoulet as it bakes—and in traditional versions a goodly amount of duck fat, too. Once browned, the now crispy bread crumbs are gently spooned back into the cassoulet and more fresh bread crumbs are added. The result of all of this is a slightly crunchy texture from the bread