Cassoulet

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So, it looks like I ‘m stuck in France, at least in the Kitchen at home……….

 

 

 

 

 

There is no dish in the Southwest France more iconic and cherished, than the cassoulet.

This  rich and  hearty slow-simmered stew has peasant roots and is made with of  pork ,  duck or garlic sausages, confit (typically duck), pork, and sometimes mutton, pork skin (couennes) and Tarbais white beans (haricots blancs), originating in  the New World , more than likely first cultivated in Mexico and imported to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Subsequently, Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, facilitated the mass importation of the white bean, which started to be cultivated extensively throughout Southwest France.

The dish is said to have originated in the town of Castelnaudary, and is particularly popular in the neighboring towns of Toulouse and Carcassonne. It is associated with the region once known as the province of Languedoc.The dish is  named after its traditional cooking vessel, the casserole, a deep, round, conical e arthenware pot with slanting sides.

Legend has it that the first cassoulet is claimed by the city of Castelnaudary, which was under siege by the British during the Hundred Years’  War (1337 to 1453) . The beleaguered townspeople gathered up the ingredients they could find and made a large stew to nourish and bolster their defenders. The meal was so hearty and fortifying that the soldiers handily dispelled the invaders, saving the city from occupation. But the origin of cassoulet is probably the result of more global interactions than the Castelnaudary legend would suggest.

Since its composition is based on local  availability, cassoulet varies from town to town in Southwest France. In Castelnaudary, cassoulet is prepared with duck confit, pork shoulder and sausage. In Carcassonne a cassoulet will typically have mutton, and the Toulouse version has duck confit, Toulouse sausage, and is breaded on top. In Auch, only duck or goose meat is used, and crumbs are never added on top. And each town believes they make the one true cassoulet. Regardless of the which town has the most complete recipe, the best versions are cooked for hours for  several days,  until the beans and meat meld into a dish of luxuriant, velvety richness.

The French have always taken their food  and the sanctity of cassoulet very  seriously that there is a brotherhood – the Grande Confrérie du Cassoulet  de Castelnaudary– that defends the glory and quality of cassoulet in Castelnaudary, in part by conducting surprise taste tests of the cassoulets offered by local chefs. Since 1999, the Brotherhood has organized competitions and fairs featuring cassoulet . And there is an Academie Universelle du Cassoulet, whose members promote the cassoulet and its significant cultural heritage (they even have a theme song).

You will need plenty of time and patience when making a cassoulet, Prepared in advance, it’s an excellent option for entertaining — especially on cold winter nights when the  cold weather calls for a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. 

 

Bon Apetite!

 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound dried Tarbias beans
2 1/2 quarts unsalted chicken broth (10 cups)
3 ounces salt pork
2 duck confit legs
8 ounces fresh French garlic sausage
4 ounces boneless pork shoulder
4 ounces fresh pork skin
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Day 1:
Place 1 pound dried great northern beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 2 to 3 inches. Soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.

Day 2:
Boil the beans for 5 minutes. Drain the beans. Place the beans in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a rapid boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Drain again.

Bring 2 1/2 quarts unsalted chicken stock or broth to a boil over medium-high heat in the same pot. Add the beans, bring back to a boil, and skim off any scum. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered until the beans are just tender but still whole and unbroken, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Cut the meats. Dice 3 ounces salt pork. Halve 2 duck confit legs between the joint so that you have 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs. Cut 8 ounces garlic sausage into 2-inch pieces. Cut 4 ounces boneless pork shoulder or belly into 2-inch chunks. Cut 4 ounces fresh pork skin into 2-inch squares if using.

Make a salt pork and garlic paste. Place the salt pork and 3 garlic cloves in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process into a sticky paste, about 15 seconds. (Alternatively, chop by hand into a paste.) Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sear the duck and pork. Place the duck skin-side down in a large frying pan over medium-low heat and cook until golden-brown, 5 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the sausage to the pan and cook into browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Add the pork belly or shoulder and cook until browned on a few sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Refrigerate the meats until ready to use.

Cool the beans. When the beans are ready, remove from the heat and let cool until warm to the touch, about 1 hour.

Season the beans. Add the garlic-pork paste, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the beans and stir gently to combine, breaking up the paste so that is it evenly distributed.

Drain the beans. Pour the bean mixture through a strainer fitted over a large bowl.

Line the cooking vessel. Use a French clay cassole if you have one. Otherwise you can use a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed, oven safe pot. Line the bottom of the vessel with the cut pork skin if using.

Assemble the cassoulet. Layer half of the beans on top of the pork skin. Place the duck confit and pork shoulder or belly on the beans. Layer the remaining beans over the duck and pork. Top with the sausages, nestling them into the beans until just their tops are visible.

Top with cooking liquid. Pour enough of the bean cooking liquid into the cassoulet to barely cover the beans. Sprinkle a dusting of freshly ground black pepper across the surface. You can immediately move on to the next step and bake it for 3 hours, or the cassoulet can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Refrigerate the remaining bean cooking liquid.

Bake the cassoulet for 3 hours. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325ºF. Bake the cassoulet uncovered for 3 hours. While it is cooking, it will develop a brown crust on top. Pierce the crust and moisten the surface by spooning some of the cooking liquid over it, taking care not to disturb the layers below. Allow the crust to re-form 2 or 3 times. If the beans start to look dry, moisten them with several spoonfuls of extra bean-cooking liquid or chicken broth. Let the cassoulet cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 3:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325ºF. Uncover the cassoulet and bake for 1 1/2 hours, breaking the crust with a spoon and moistening the surface at least twice. If the beans look dry, add spoonfuls of extra bean-cooking liquid or chicken broth. You can serve the cassoulet now, or let it cool to room temperature and cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 4:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325ºF. Heat the cassoulet for 1 1/2 hours, moistening with extra bean-cooking liquid or chicken broth as necessary. Serve immediately in its vessel, gently simmering and unstirred along with a simple green salad dressed in a sharp vinaigrette, a loaf of crusty bread, and a full-bodied red wine.

 

 

Cook’s Notes:

Beans substitution: Great White Northern beans of Cannelli Beans will work well with this recipe.

Garlic sausage substitution: Fresh pork sausage, such as a mild, sweet Italian sausage without fennel can be substituted for the garlic sausage.

Salt pork substitution: You can use bacon but it is not traditional and does add a distinct smokiness, which is not unpleasant but cassoulet purists would disapprove.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days.

 

 

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Duck a L’Orange

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You can use any type of duck that you can find in your local supermarket or butche. I like to use the Rohan duck, which is exclusively available at D’Artagnan. It is raised without antibiotics or hormones in open barns, and is the company’s proprietary hybrid that includes the Heritage Mallard and Pekin duck breeds. With a flavor reminiscent of a heritage-breed duck from France, the juicy, tender, rose-colored meat and mild taste make the Rohan™ Duck unique.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 quart fresh-squeezed orange juice, or bottled
One 12-ounce jar orange marmalade, reserving  3 tablespoons for basting
½ cup honey
1 D’Artagnan Rohan Duck, 5 to 6 pounds
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 small lemon
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 thin-skinned navel orange, washed and cut into thin slices
½ cup Grand Marnier

Directions:

Remove the duck from the packaging and rinse the duck inside and out with cold water, reserving the neck and liver, if desired. Trim the excess fat and skin.

Combine orange juice, marmalade, and honey in a bowl  or casserole dish, deep enough to hold duck. Add duck, and drizzle the marinade over the duck, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Make sure you turn the duck once or twice if marinade doesn’t cover it completely.

The NEXT day,

Preheat oven to 375 ° F.

Remove duck from marinade, reserving marinade.

Using a fork, prick duck skin all over with a fork, but DO NOT pierce the flesh. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.  Slice the small red onion, break the garlic cloves in half and slice the small lemon in half and place the onion, garlic and lemon in the cavity of the duck. Using kitchen twine, truss the duck and place breast  side up on a rack in a roasting pan. If you do not have a rack for you pan, use three or four four ribs of celery, laying them in a row and set the duck on top of the celery “rack”.  If you are using a Granite Ware Enameled Dutch oven to roast your duck, be sure to cover the duck with the lid provided.  Transfer the roasting pan to oven and roast the duck. After 10 minutes, turn heat down to 350°F and roast for 1 ½ hours.

Once duck has rendered some fat, spoon 2 about tablespoons of it into a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, add onion, and sauté until tender and light brown, 5 to 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour in reserved marinade and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring up any browned bits. Adjust heat to medium and reduce liquid until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Pour the sauce into an electric blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a saucepan and add the Grand Marnier and set aside.

When duck has roasted for 1 ½ hours, remove pan from oven and turn heat down to 325°F. Discard all but a little fat from roasting pan, and lay orange slices over bottom of pan.  Return the duck, placing it over the orange slices. Using a pastry brush, baste the duck with the sauce. Return the pan to oven and cook until slices begin to brown about 10 minutes.  Brush a final coat of orange marmalade all over the duck. Cover with the lid if using a roaster, Turn off the oven and let the duck stand for 10 minutes.

Remove the duck from the pan and place on a craving board and allow to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting or craving.

To serve for 2: Cut duck in half using sharp scissors or poultry shears. Remove backbone by cutting along one side and then the other, then cut along breastbone. For 4: Cut each half into breast and leg sections.

Place each duck portion on a warm plate. For complete meal, serve with a generous mound of rice next to it, lay orange slices around it,  and a green vegetable like green beans or steamed asparagus, or roasted Brussels sprouts, and ladle on sauce.

 

 

Cook’s Notes:

If you don’t have any Grand Marnier on hand,  Cointreau or triple sec are suitable substitutes.

downloadI like to roast my duck in a Granite Ware Enameled Dutch Oven, that I inherited from my Grandmother. I don’t even know if they still make them or not. For me, using this type of cookware always produced a moist bird, whether you are roasting a duck, a chicken or a turkey. You can perfectly roast your duck without one, using a shallow roasting pan and that is perfectly fine.

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All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank you so much!

 

 

Roasted Duck with Figs

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A whole roasted duck doesn’t have to be fussy. With just a few hours’ roasting and hardly any work at all, you can have a juicy bird with crisp skin—the best of both textures.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:
For the Duck:
1 quart fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 cup Choripdong Honey Citron Tea Marmalade*, plus more for basting
½ cup honey
One 5 to 6 pound duck, giblets and excess fat removed and discarded, wing tips turned under
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Figs:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound purple figs (about 16 figs)
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
4 teaspoons Lemon Juice
A pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
For the Duck:
Combine orange juice,  Honey Citron Tea marmalade, and honey in a bowl deep enough to hold duck. Add duck, over, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, turning duck once or twice if marinade doesn’t cover it.

Preheat oven to 375 °F.

Remove duck from marinade, reserving marinade. Prick duck skin all over with a fork (do not pierce the flesh), and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan and transfer to oven. After 10 minutes, turn heat down to 350°F and roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

When duck has roasted, remove pan from oven and turn heat down to 325°F. Discard all but a little fat from roasting pan. Baste the duck with the marmalade. Return to oven and cook until the duck is browned, for bout 10 minutes. Remove the duck from oven and place on a serving platter. Let stand for 10 minutes while preparing the figs and sauce.

For the Figs:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter.

Add the figs and cook, turning, until golden, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and honey; stir to coat and cook for an additional 6 to 8 minutes or until syrup is thickened. Spoon syrup over figs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from the figs from the heat and set aside.

Transfer the figs to a serving platter with the duck and drizzle with the reserved fig syrup before serving.

To serve for 2: Cut duck in half using sharp scissors or poultry shears. Remove backbone by cutting along one side and then the other, then cut along breastbone.

To Serve for 4: Cut each half into breast and leg sections.
Place each duck portion on a warm plate.

*Cook’s Note:
You can substitute the Honey Citron Tea for  one  12-ounce  jar of bitter or sweet orange marmalade.

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor