Cassoulet

Name: Cassoulet
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 0 teaspoons black pepper; 1 teaspoons black peppercorns; 680 grams boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; 355 milliliters coarse fresh bread crumbs (from a baguette); 867 milliliters 1/2 lb dried white beans such as Great Northern or cannellini , picked over and rinsed; 1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 8 confit duck legs; 2 Tbsps chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 sprigs fresh parsley; 5 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 Tbsp minced garlic; 2 Tbsps finely chopped garlic plus 2 cloves, halved; 2 Tbsps olive oil; 2 onions, chopped; 1 teaspoons salt; 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf; 4 quarts water

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Cassoulet a try. This recipe serves 8. Watching your figure? This dairy free recipe has 673 calories, 73g of protein, and 27g of fat per serving. This recipe covers 27% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. A mixture of garlic, pork shoulder, onions, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so tasty. To use up the salt you could follow this main course with the Apple Turnovers Recipe as a dessert.

Instructions

Cover beans with cold water by 2 inches in a bowl and soak at room temperature at least 8 and up to 24 hours, or quick-soak (see cooks' note, below).

Ingredients you will need

Beans

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Drain well in a colander.

Equipment you will use

Colander

Make a bouquet garni by wrapping parsley, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns, and 2 sprigs thyme in cheesecloth and tying with kitchen string, then put in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot along with pork shoulder and water (4 quarts). Simmer, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, 1 1/4 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Bouquet Garni

Pork Shoulder

Peppercorns

Bay Leaves

Parsley

Clove

Thyme

Water

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Twine

Cheesecloth

Pot

Add beans, onions, carrot, and chopped garlic and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are just tender, about 45 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Carrot

Garlic

Onion

Beans

While beans simmer, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners and heat 1 tablespoon oil in roasting pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown duck legs, turning occasionally to brown skin and meat all over, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Duck Leg

Beans

Meat

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Oven

Transfer duck legs with tongs to a platter as browned.

Ingredients you will need

Duck Leg

Equipment you will use

Tongs

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from roasting pan, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook halved garlic cloves, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Garlic Cloves

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Remove from heat.

Drain bean and pork mixture in a colander set over a large bowl (discard bouquet garni). Stir salt and pepper into broth in bowl and reserve.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Bouquet Garni

Broth

Pork

Equipment you will use

Colander

Bowl

Spread bean and pork mixture in roasting pan (with garlic halves), then nestle duck legs, skin sides up, in mixture.

Ingredients you will need

Duck Leg

Garlic

Spread

Pork

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Add remaining 3 sprigs thyme and 6 cups reserved broth (liquid should come up around base of duck legs; reserve remaining broth, covered and chilled, for reheating if making dish ahead, or for another use).

Ingredients you will need

Duck Leg

Broth

Thyme

Base

Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Oven

While cassoulet bakes, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. If necessary, halve sausage crosswise to fit in skillet, then brown, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Sausage

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. When sausage is cool enough to handle, halve pieces lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Ingredients you will need

Sausage

Equipment you will use

Cutting Board

Nestle sausage into cassoulet and bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more.

Ingredients you will need

Sausage

Equipment you will use

Oven

Let stand 10 minutes. Gently stir beans, mashing some with back of spoon, to thicken broth before serving.

Ingredients you will need

Beans

Broth

Cook garlic in oil in cleaned 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until crumbs are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Breadcrumbs

Pepper

Salt

Transfer to a small bowl and stir in parsley.

Ingredients you will need

Parsley

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Serve cassoulet with crumb topping.

·To quick-soak beans, cover dried beans with cold water by 2 inches in a 4- to 5-quart pot. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, over moderate heat 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Beans

Water

Equipment you will use

Pot

Remove from heat and soak beans, uncovered, 1 hour.·Cassoulet can be made 3 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat, covered, in a preheated 350°F oven 30 minutes. If beans have soaked up the liquid, add some of reserved broth before reheating.

Ingredients you will need

Beans

Broth

Equipment you will use

Oven