Try this Duck Cassoulet recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 pounds navy beans (2 pounds dried great northern or navy picked and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon salt (1 tablespoon salt)
- 1 large leek trimmed leaving some green, split and washed)
- 1 large onion peeled and tuck with 2 whole cloves)
- 1 large carrot peeled and cut in half)
- 2 large tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped - ab
- 3 cloves (3 garlic cloves crushed)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (1 tablespoon tomato paste)
- 1 teaspoons dry thyme, 4-5 fresh parsley tied up in a cheesec
- 1 pound pancetta (1 1-pound piece pancetta)
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock (4 cups homemade chicken s
- 6 cups water (6 cups water)
- 1.5 pounds garlic sausage (1 1/2 pounds garlic sausage)
- 5 pounds ducks (1 5-pounds duck (have the butcher put it i
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (1 3-pounds boneless pork
- 2 teaspoons salt (2 teaspoons salt)
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper (2 teaspoons ground black pep
- 4 slices stale country bread (4 slices stale country bread
- Carbohydrate 3.35011 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.05898 g
- Fiber 0.616799999475479 g
- Protein 0.36546 g
- Saturated Fat 0.012524 g
- Serving Size 1 1 people (600g)
- Sodium 7.348 mg
- Sugar 2.73331000052452 g
- Trans Fat 0.017394 g
- Calories 14 calories
Step-by-step
- Ingredients : 2 pounds navy beans (2 pounds dried great northern or navy picked and rinsed), 1 tablespoon salt (1 tablespoon salt), 1 large leek trimmed leaving some green, split and washed), 1 large onion peeled and tuck with 2 whole cloves), 1 large carrot peeled and cut in half), 2 large tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped - ab, 3 cloves (3 garlic cloves crushed), 1 tablespoon tomato paste (1 tablespoon tomato paste), 1 teaspoons dry thyme, 4-5 fresh parsley tied up in a cheesec, 1 pound pancetta (1 1-pound piece pancetta), 4 cups homemade chicken stock (4 cups homemade chicken s, 6 cups water (6 cups water), 1.5 pounds garlic sausage (1 1/2 pounds garlic sausage), 5 pounds ducks (1 5-pounds duck (have the butcher put it i, 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (1 3-pounds boneless pork, 2 teaspoons salt (2 teaspoons salt), 2 teaspoons ground black pepper (2 teaspoons ground black pep, 4 slices stale country bread (4 slices stale country bread
A properly baked cassoulet presents a deep brown crust of toasted breadcrumbs over bubbling legumes and rendered fowl. Fat and starch struggle to emulsify during the initial simmer. Beans release pectic substances into the cooking liquid while rendering duck fat coats the simmering meat proteins. Without adequate surface area, moisture remains trapped beneath the crust, preventing the essential Maillard reaction on the surface layer. Standard home ovens often lack the internal volume to house a traditional deep earthenware cassole alongside heavy roasting pans. A wide cast-iron Dutch oven provides a functional workaround by maximizing surface evaporation across a broader diameter.
Dry Great Northern or navy beans require a lengthy soak to hydrate cellular walls before exposure to acidic tomatoes and salted broths. Acid added too early reinforces pectin bonds, leaving the legumes perpetually chalky. Introduce tomatoes only after the beans soften past initial resistance. Simmer the aromatics gently to extract water-soluble compounds into the stock without breaking down vegetable cellular structures completely. Maintain a gentle simmer at 180 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent the delicate skins of the navy beans from splitting open.
Rendered duck fat acts as a primary heat-transfer medium during baking. Skim excess surface oil if the liquid level rises above the solid ingredients by more than one inch. Stale country bread sliced thinly and distributed across the top absorbs circulating fats during the final forty minutes of baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Press the formed crust down into the bubbling liquid three times during baking to submerge toasted crumbs and build successive layers of rich texture.
