Cassoulet Dartagnan Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CASSOULET

Steps:

• Rinse soaked beans and drain.
• Pour broth into a large pot. Add chopped pancetta, bones from duck confit, and the drained beans. Tie bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme sprigs, and garlic into a small square of cheesecloth to create the bouquet garni; add to the pot. Stir. Bring to a simmer over high heat; skim foamy scum that forms, if desired. Reduce heat to low until beans are almost tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle pork pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; brown the pork pieces, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add sausage to the skillet and cook in the same oil, turning until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Cut sausages in half and transfer to bowl with pork pieces.
• Remove fat and skin from duck confit and add them to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Transfer all fat and browned pieces from the skillet to a mixing bowl. Add melted butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chopped parsley; stir until mixture looks like damp sand. Mix in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place onions, carrots, and celery in the same skillet used to brown the meats; add pinch of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until onions are translucent and mixture turns golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook and stir until tomato paste starts to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, 3 or 4 minutes. Pour in white wine; cook and stir until most of the wine evaporates, 5 or 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drain beans over a large bowl to retain all the cooking liquid. Remove bones and bouquet garni.
• Place drained beans in large shallow baking dish or cast iron skillet (about 12 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep). Stir in cooked vegetables and about 1 cup broth. Add pork pieces and distribute evenly among the beans. Top with the shredded duck confit. Nestle the sausage halves into the bean mixture.
• Ladle cooking liquid into the baking dish until beans are nearly submerged. Spread bread crumb mixture evenly over the top but don't press into the liquid. Use your fingertips to make gentle indentations on the crumb surface for better browning.
• Bake in preheated oven until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and create a small "well" in the center of the cassoulet crust. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid (or as needed) into the well to rehydrate mixture. Use a fork to gently poke into the cassoulet to ensure the liquid is fairly evenly distributed but try not to disturb the crusty surface.
• Continue baking until cassoulet surface is crispy and caramelized, the meat is fork tender, and the beans are creamy and tender, about 30 to 45 more minutes.
• Serve in large bowls with a spoonful or 2 of hot cooking liquid. Top with chopped fresh parsley.

CASSOULET D'ARTAGNAN

Steps:

• Place beans in a large bowl; cover with water and let soak overnight.
• Drain beans and place in a large earthenware casserole or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven along with ventreche, garlic, 1 onion, and carrot. Wrap parsley, celery leaves, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth and tie to form a bouquet garni. Place bouquet garni into the casserole and cover with 10 cups water.
• Place casserole over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until beans are just tender, about 1 hour. Drain, discarding onion and bouquet garni, and return to casserole. Add remaining onion, duck legs, and tomatoes. In a medium bowl, stir together demi-glace with 4 cups water, and add to casserole. Season with salt and pepper and place casserole over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until duck legs are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
• Drain mixture into a colander set over a bowl; reserve cooking liquid. Cut ventreche into 1/2-inch square pieces; set aside. Cut each duck leg in half at the joint; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season beans with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place half of the beans in the casserole. Add ventreche, duck legs, duck, and garlic sausages; cover with remaining beans. Pour reserved cooking liquid over top and drizzle with duck fat. Cover, and bake until heated through and bubbling, about 2 hours. Cassoulet may be cooled and refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
• Increase temperature to 400 degrees. Uncover casserole, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes.