I realize I never gave you a chance
I realize I never gave you romance
At the top of the hill
At the top of the hill
Leave me to stream in the current or breeze
“California on My Mind” by Wild Light
Is there a special someone in your life that you’d really like to impress? Do you have way to much free time and/or discretionary income? Then I think it is high time to make cassoulet. The first time I had cassoulet, it was at Chez Pannise so I guess I set the bar pretty high. The one thing that really stood out was the crispiness of the duck legs, I mimicked this by broiling the after they were braised. If you’ve got some free time, a special someone, and a little extra jangle…give this hearty dish a stab.
Ingredients:
1 lb. dried great northern beans
6 tablespoons duck olive oil
16 cloves garlic, smashed, divided
2 onions, chopped, divided
2 carrots, chopped, divided
1 large ham hock
1 lb. lamb shoulder, cut into one inch pieces
¾ lb. pork belly, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 sprigs oregano, 4 sprigs thyme, 3 bay leaves, tied together with twine
1 cup whole peeled canned tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
4 duck legs
1 lb. pork sausages
2 cups bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Soak beans in 7 1⁄2 cups water overnight
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
3. Add half of the garlic, half of the onion, and half of the carrot, cook until light brown
4. Add ham hocks and beans with water to vegetables, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes, remove and discard ham hock, set bean mixture aside
5. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat
6. Add lamb shoulder and cook until brown, add pork belly cook until brown
7. Add tomatoes and tied herbs, cook until liquid thickens
8. Add wine cook until reduced by half
9. Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce mixture to a simmer, cook until mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes
10. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat, sear duck legs, fat side down, remove once browned
11. Preheat oven to 300 F
12. Add sausages to duck fat and cook until brown, cut sausages into once inch chunks, set aside with duck legs
13. With a strainer, add beans (and other vegetables) to the thickened meat, reserve bean stock if cassoulet dries out during cooking
14. Add sausages and duck legs to bean and meat mixture, cover and place in over for 3 hours
15. Remove pot from oven, set oven to broil
16. Pull out duck legs and pork belly, place on a baking sheet and broil until crispy
17. Serve crispy meat with cassoulet
