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Duck Cassoulet Recipe (Cassoulet de Canard)
5 from 15 votes

Duck Cassoulet Recipe (Cassoulet de Canard)

Duck Cassoulet (Cassoulet de Canard) is a rich, slow-cooked casserole combining great northern beans, pork belly, pork sausages, and duck legs confit. The dish features a hearty base of browned vegetables including onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and cherry tomatoes, deglazed with white wine and simmered with chicken stock and fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. The cassoulet melds savory and herbal flavors with tender meats and creamy beans.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 855 kcal
Course: Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine: French

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. Add oil or duck fat to a large Dutch oven pot over medium-low heat.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Add the carrots, celery, and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Stir in the garlic and cook just until it becomes fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
  8. Next, stir in the tomatoes and cook for a further 1 minute.
  9. 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.
  10. Strain the beans and add them to the pot with lightly browned pork, chicken stock, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
  11. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour or just until tender.
  12. 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.
  13. Bake in the oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours at 375° on a rack in the lower third section.
  14. 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

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%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 855

% 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.