Cassoulet
Printable version of this Cassoulet recipe (word doc)
2 fresh ham hocks
1 pound Duck meat (or whatever is left over from the Duck once you have cleaned it)
2 duck confit (leg and thigh)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
2 ounces salt pork, skin removed
1/3 cup duck fat (see Note)
3 small carrots, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, diced
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, plus 4 small garlic cloves, peeled
1 large plum tomato, chopped
2 quarts plus 2 cups chicken broth
Bouquet garni - 4 parsley sprigs, 3 small celery ribs, 2 thyme sprigs and 1 bay leaf, tied with string
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound French-style fresh pork sausages “Toulouse”, pricked with a fork
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, cover the beans with 3 inches of water and soak overnight.
2. The next day, in a medium saucepan, cover the salt pork with water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer over moderate heat for about 30 minutes. Drain, cool and remove the salt pork from the beans.
3. In a large casserole, roasting pan or Dutch oven heat the duck fat. Add duck over moderately high heat until lightly browned all over; transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining duck.
4. Add the ham hocks to the casserole and brown them lightly. Add the carrots and onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 7 minutes.
5. Add the head of garlic and the tomato and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
6. Add 2 quarts of the broth, the bouquet garni, and the browned duck and its juices and bring to a boil.
7. Cover the casserole and gently simmer the ragout over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Drain the beans. In a large saucepan, cover the beans with water and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer the beans for 3 minutes, then drain. Add the beans to the ragout and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 2 hours. Let the ragout cool, then refrigerate overnight.
9. Remove the fat from the surface of the ragout; reserving 1/4 cup of the fat. Let the ragout return to room temperature. Pick out the ham hocks, Cut the meats into bite-size pieces; discard the bones, skin and gristle. Pick out the head of garlic and reserve. Discard the bouquet garni.
10. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bring the ragout to a simmer. Cut the blanched salt pork into small pieces. Squeeze the cooked garlic cloves into a food processor. Add the salt pork and the raw garlic cloves and process to a smooth paste. Stir the paste into the ragout and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in all of the cooked and cured meats.
11. Heat the confit (legs) for 5 minutes or so, until heated thoroughly. Remove the meat from the bones in large pieces. Cut the skin into strips. Discard the bones.
12. Turn the oven down to 325. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer half of the ragout to the earthenware casserole. Top with the duck confit in an even layer, then cover with the rest of the ragout. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth to the cooking liquid in the cast-iron casserole and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the liquid over the ragout and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the reserved fat. Bake the cassoulet for 1 1/2 hours.
13. Now heat the canola oil in a medium skillet. Add the sausages and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over. Let cool, and then cut the sausages into 3-inch pieces.
14. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°. Gently stir in the skin that has formed on the cassoulet. Nestle in the sausages and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of reserved fat. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake the cassoulet for 1 hour longer, until it is richly browned on the surface. Remove and cool for 30 minutes before serving.
