Duck Cassoulet Recipe (Cassoulet de Canard)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs 25 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
855 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Dinner
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Cuisine
French
Duck Cassoulet Recipe (Cassoulet de Canard)
Description
The recipe begins by soaking dried beans overnight to soften. Pork belly is browned in olive oil or duck fat to render fat and caramelize the meat, followed by light searing of pork sausages. Onions are cooked slowly to a deep brown, lending sweetness and depth. Carrots, celery, garlic, and cherry tomatoes are sautéed in sequence and then deglazed with white wine, intensifying the dish's flavor. After absorbing the wine, chicken stock is added along with soaked beans and herbs including parsley, thyme, and bay leaf for aromatic complexity. Duck legs confit are incorporated towards the end, providing tender, flavorful meat throughout the cassoulet.
This rustic dish suits a warm, comforting main course with layered textures from creamy beans, soft vegetables, and rich meats. The inclusion of duck confit and fresh herbs adds distinctive richness and fragrance.
The cassoulet can be kept warm for up to an hour before serving. Stored refrigerated, it lasts 4 to 5 days, or freezes well up to three months. Reheating can be done in the oven with added chicken stock to maintain moisture. Using canned beans is discouraged to preserve texture. For an additional topping, lightly toasted panko breadcrumbs mixed with olive oil can be sprinkled on before final baking to add a crunchy crust. Fond formed during cooking can be periodically folded back in to boost umami flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 pound great northern beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or duck fat
- 1 pound pork belly cut into 1” cubes
- 4 pork sausages
- 1 yellow onion large peeled and medium diced
- 1 carrot large or 2 medium, peeled, medium-diced
- 2 celery medium-diced ribs
- 10 garlic finely minced
- 1/3 cup cherry tomato quartered
- 1 cup white wine dry
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 4-5 parsley stems and leaves
- 8-0 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 duck legs confit
- salt coarse and freshly cracked, to taste
- black pepper coarse and freshly cracked, to taste
Instructions
- Cover the beans in a container with 4 to 6 inches of cold water. Cover and let them sit for 12 to 24 hours or overnight.
- Add oil or duck fat to a large Dutch oven pot over medium-low heat.
- Place in the pork and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned and some of the fat has been rendered. Set them to the side on a plate or bowl.
- Add the sausages, turn the heat to medium, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned. They do not need to be cooked through. Set them aside.
- Stir in the onions and cook over low to medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned. Come back and stir them every 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook just until it becomes fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Next, stir in the tomatoes and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Deglaze with white wine and cook until most of it has been absorbed into the vegetables. There may be a few tablespoons left, which is fine.
- Strain the beans and add them to the pot with lightly browned pork, chicken stock, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the beans to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour or just until tender.
- Remove the lid and place in the sausage and duck confit by slightly pressing them through the beans and vegetables so they are not all sitting on the top.
- Bake in the oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours at 375° on a rack in the lower third section.
- Serve in the pot or separately in bowls.
Notes
- Soak dried great northern beans overnight in cold water for 12 to 24 hours before cooking to achieve proper texture.
- This dish can be kept warm on very low heat for up to 1 hour before serving without quality loss.
- Store cooked cassoulet covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months; thaw thoroughly before reheating.
- Reheat cassoulet in the oven at 375°F with added chicken stock for 30 to 40 minutes until heated through.
- Avoid canned beans to maintain ideal texture in the finished dish.
- Adding panko breadcrumbs tossed in olive oil as a topping before baking provides a crunchy crust.
- The fond that forms during baking can be gently folded back into the cassoulet every 30 minutes to enhance flavor.
- An 8-quart enameled iron Dutch oven is suitable for preparing this recipe.
- If soaking overnight isn't possible, cover beans with boiling water and soak for 1 hour as a quicker alternative.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 855 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 855kcal | 43% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 47g | 94% |
| Fat | 61g | 94% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 8g | 47% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 28g | 140% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 188mg | 63% |
| Sodium | 748mg | 31% |
| Potassium | 785mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1494IU | 30% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 85mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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