WHOLE-DUCK CASSOULET

WHOLE-DUCK CASSOULET image

Categories Duck

Yield 16 people

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

4 cups dried white beans (great northern or cannellini)
1/2 pound not-too-smoky slab bacon or pork belly, in 4 large chunks
Small bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped, stems saved
10 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole cloves
Salt and black pepper
duck fat (from confit & stock)
1 pound boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions, sliced
duck confit, deboned and shredded (from confit & stock)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups duck stock, plus more as needed (from confit & stock)
4 cups chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 pound garlicky sausage (fresh chorizo)
2 boneless duck breasts (from confit & stock)

Steps:

Boil 5 quarts of water and add the beans. Remove from heat and soak for 1 hour. Make a bouquet garni with the parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves and cloves. Add it, along with the bacon, to the beans; bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, skimming occasionally, until the beans are just tender, 45 to 90 minutes. Taste and adjust. Salt and pepper the lamb. Put 3 tbsp duck fat in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and brown well. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 or 6 minutes; turn off heat. Add the confit and garlic to the pot with the lamb, along with 2 cups stock, tomatoes, garlic and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is very tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Taste and adjust. Discard the bouquet garni. Cut fat from bacon and cut the meat into small pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons reserved duck fat in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook, turning, until well browned; transfer and slice into quarter-inch rounds; don't wash out the pan. Heat the oven to 375. Transfer a layer of beans to a large enameled cast-iron pot with a slotted spoon to leave behind most of the cooking liquid. Layer half of the sausage and bacon on top, then beans, then half the duck-and-lamb; repeat. Put the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, uncovered, then turn off heat. Cover with parsley and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Put the skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, cook the duck breasts, skin-side down, until they release easily, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook to rare, 1-2 min. Remove the duck, and pour the drippings over the cassoulet; reduce oven heat to 350. Bake the cassoulet until it's bubbling and crusted around the edges, 30 to 40 min; add a little stock if needed. Slice the duck breasts and transfer them to the pot. Cook until the breasts are medium rare, another 5 minutes or so, then serve.