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Southern Cassoulet Recipe

Ingredients

How to make it

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees .
  • In a heavy 6 to 8-quart pot or soup kettle, bring the chicken stock to a bubbling boil over high heat.
  • Drop the beans in, and boil them briskly for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour.
  • Return to heat and bring to a boil, skimming the top of scum.
  • When the stock looks fairly clear, add the whole onions, garlic, thyme, bouquet garni, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, adding stock or water if needed. Cook until the beans are tender.
  • Discard the onions and bouquet garni.
  • Strain the stock through a large sieve or colander into a mixing bowl.
  • Skim the fat from the stock and taste for seasoning. Then set the beans, stock and meats aside in separate containers.
  • Remove all skin and fat from duck legs and cut skin and fat into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • Separate the duck meat from bones, leaving it in large pieces, and transfer meat to a bowl.
  • Cook duck skin and fat with remaining 1/4 cup cold water in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until water is evaporated and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
  • Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until skin is crisp, 3 to 6 minutes more.
  • Transfer cracklings with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
  • Brown sausage, in batches, in fat left in skillet. Then transfer to bowl with duck meat.
  • Reserve the remaining duck fat. (You should have about 1/4 cup fat.)
  • In a heavy 10 to 12-inch skillet, sauté the diced pork fat over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until crisp and brown.
  • Remove the dice and reserve.
  • Pour all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of rendered fat into a small mixing bowl.
  • Heat the fat remaining in the skillet almost to the smoking point, then brown the pork and the lamb, 4 or 5 chunks at a time, adding more pork fat as needed.
  • When the chunks are a rich brown on all sides, transfer them with tongs to a heavy plate to rest.
  • In a heavy flameproof 6 to 8-quart casserole at least 5 inches deep, spread an inch-deep layer of beans.
  • Arrange half of the sausage, salt pork, duck, braised pork and lamb on top.
  • Cover with another layer of beans, then the rest of the meat, finally a last layer of beans, with a few slices of sausage on top.
  • Slowly pour in the bean stock until it almost covers the beans. (If there isn't enough stock, add fresh or canned chicken stock.)
  • Spread the bread crumbs in a thick layer on top and sprinkle them with 3 or 4 tablespoons of duck fat.
  • Bring the casserole to a boil on top of the stove, then bake it uncovered in the upper third of the oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until the crumbs have formed a firm, dark crust.
  • Note: If desired, the first gratin, or crust, can be pushed gently into the Cassoulet, and the dish baked until a new crust forms. This can be repeated two or three times if you wish, resulting in a drier dish
  • Serve directly from the casserole, sprinkled with parsley.

Reviews & Comments 1

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  • decobabe 14 years ago
    Intriguing. I can find black eyed peas, so this is possible to make and I may try it next winter. Summer at mine is way too hot!
    Was this review helpful? Yes Flag

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chefgil Stanardsville, VA

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