Cassoulet
Cassoulet is a humble dish full of rich preserved meats and creamy Tarbais beans. Of the different versions I’ve made, this is probably my favorite and the thick rich stock is part of the key ingredients. The stock should be the kind that turns to a container of jello after cooling in the fridge. If not, no problem – we have a solution to fortify whatever stock you have, in the recipe below.
Category
Main Course
Servings/Yield
6
Author
Helen Park
Cassoulet is a humble dish full of rich preserved meats and creamy Tarbais beans. Of the different versions I’ve made, this is probably my favorite and the thick rich stock is part of the key ingredients. The stock should be the kind that turns to a container of jello after cooling in the fridge. If not, no problem – we have a solution to fortify whatever stock you have, in the recipe below.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 legs duck confit OR 3 chicken leg quarters
¾ pound slab bacon or salt pork cut into 6 thick strips
¾ pound garlic sausage, cut into 12 thick slices
2 cups onion, diced ½”
1 cup carrot, peeled and diced ½ “
1 cup celery, diced ½”
6 cloves garlic
-
2 tsp fine sea salt
-
3 bay leaves
1 pound dried Tarbais beans, soaked overnight in enough water to cover by 4”
-
2 qts good quality homemade stock
OR
2 qts of store-bought chicken stock + 6 packets of gelatin powder
-
¼ cup breadcrumbs, optional
Directions
If you do not have strong quality homemade stock, you can use the best store-bought chicken stock you can find and bring it to a boil on the stove. Whisk in gelatin powder to dissolve completely. If your homemade stock doesn’t quite look like jello when chilled, you can also add a few packets of powdered gelatin the same way to fortify the stock. The strength of the stock contributes to the richness of the flavors as well as the crusty top of the final dish.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a nonstick pan, heat the oil on medium heat and brown each duck leg to render the skin until crispy. You may need to tip the pan to really get the duck skin in contact when starting. Continue with each duck leg until all of them are browned. Once cooled enough to handle, separate each leg quarter into thigh and drumstick.
*The nonstick is the easiest to use for this part. The confit duck skin tends to want to stick to a regular pan so the browning might be uneven or even have holes in the skin from where it sticks to the pan.
In a heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven (I used a 12” skillet), pour the rendered duck fat and heat on medium heat. Add the bacon/salt pork pieces and continue rendering until the pieces turn just barely golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and roast with 2 tsp of salt until golden brown. Drain and add the beans and bay leaves.
Cover the beans and vegetables with 1 qt of stock and give it a good stir, bringing up any browned bits that stuck to the pan as well.
Arrange the rendered bacon/salt pork, duck confit, and garlic sausage slices around the pan and cover with a little more of the stock.
Bring to the boil and transfer to the oven. If using breadcrumbs, sprinkle them on evenly now. I like to give the crumbs a light baste to moisten them. They can help to make the crusty top on the final dish.
Continue braising the full dish of beans and meat, checking temperature and the crusting along the way. The dish should remain at a simmer – if you see it boiling harder than a very light simmer, turn the heat down to 325°F as needed.
Every half hour or so, press the meats and beans into the liquid, adding more fortified stock as needed, and baste gently to moisten the meats and beans. As the dish bakes, the gelatinous moisture is continuing to crust over giving the final cassoulet that crusty, caramelized texture. The magical process takes about two hours.
When the beans and pork pieces are tender, remove the dish from the oven to rest 15 minutes and enjoy!
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes
We kept this cassoulet basic using ingredients that can be found in stores or online. D’Artagnan is also a great source to find all of the ingredients in one place, and a few other goodies you didn’t know you needed - at www.dartagnan.com
Variations and Ideas
Part of what makes this a rustic classic is using what you have. If you don’t have duck, use chicken leg quarters. In place of slab bacon, you can use chunks of pancetta. No garlic sausage, no problem – use a hearty cooked pork sausage like bratwurst. In place of Tarbais beans you can substitute cannellini beans.
The dish can be made fully on the stovetop without using the oven but it will be missing that crusty, caramelized top.
Questions? Contact helen@laboiteny.com
