CASSOULET (WHITE BEANS AND DUCK STEW)

Steps:

• Soak Beans overnight and drain
• Cure the duck confit overnight. Pat the duck legs dry with paper towels and place them on a sheet pan. Toss the duck legs with the salt, thyme and garlic. Wrap with plastic and let cure in the refrigerator overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 300°. Using paper towels, wipe off the salt from the duck legs and place them in a medium Dutch oven. Cover the legs with the duck fat, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover the pot and cook in the oven until the legs are tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Let the legs cool in the fat, then transfer them to a plate. Strain the fat, reserving 10 tablespoons for the cassoulet and the rest for another use.
• Meanwhile, make the Tarbais beans: Place the celery stalk on a cutting board and fit the parsley stems, thyme and bay leaf into the crease of the stalk, then secure with butcher's twine to make a bouquet garni. Stud each half of the onion with 3 cloves. Place the soaked beans in a large pot with the bouquet garni, studded onion, salt pork, garlic and carrots, then cover with water.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, adding water as needed to keep the beans covered, until tender, 1 hour. Drain the beans, discarding the bouquet garni and onion. Remove the salt pork and set aside to cool, then roughly chop and reserve.
• In a small bowl, whisk the stock and tomato paste until smooth, then pour over the drained beans and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the chopped salt pork.
• Assemble the cassoulet: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the duck fat over medium-high heat. Add the duck sausage and cook, turning as needed, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• In a 4½-quart Dutch oven, rub 2 tablespoons of the duck fat and the garlic clove over the entire inside of the pot. Spread out a third of the bean mixture in an even layer, then top with 3 confit duck legs, 4 duck sausages and half the garlic sausage slices. Repeat this layering of beans and meat one more time until all the meat is used up, then top with the remaining third of the beans. Cover and refrigerate the cassoulet overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 325°. Bring the cassoulet to room temperature, then cook, uncovered, until a crust forms on the top, 45 minutes. Break the top and pour in 2 more tablespoons of the reserved duck fat and the chicken stock. Continue to bake until another crust forms, 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and raise the temperature to 400°.