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Bistro Banlieue Cassoulet




Source of Recipe


Chef Mark Downing, Bistro Banlieue, Lombard


List of Ingredients




Cassoulet beans
2 cups dry Great Northern beans
2 sprigs thyme
1 head garlic
2 sprigs parsley
1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
1/2 large onion, uncut
1 tablespoon olive oil or fat
8 cups water
Kosher salt to taste (should taste slightly oversalted)
Pork and sauce
1/2 cup rendered duck fat or olive oil
2 pounds smoked polish or pork sausage
2 pounds trimmed smoked pork butt or ham , cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
8 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
4 confit duck legs or 4 duck breast havles
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 cup red wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup homemade beef stock

Recipe



For the beans: Sort, rinse and soak beans in 8 cups of hot water. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Mix with spoon and re-cover. Let soak in refrigerator overnight.

The next day, drain beans. Make seasoning sachet by tying thyme, garlic, parsley and peppercorns together in piece of cheesecloth. Place beans, sachet and all other ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil and simmer half covered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain and reserve bean mixture in container

For the rest of the cassoulet: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

To hot metal or cast iron casserole pan, add duck fat Add pork butt season pork with salt and pepper and brown in small batches in pan. Remove from pan and drain off half the fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons. Add onion, carrot, tomatoes, and celery and saute about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomato paste and sauté about 2 minutes.

Tie peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley and thyme together in piece of cheesecloth. Add red wine to casserole pan and cook 3 minutes. Place half the bean mixture in casserole, add pork butt, sausage, duck leg confit, and cover with remaining beans. Then add stocks. Cover and bake until hot and bubbling, about 2 hours.

(Cassoulet may be prepared ahead to this point, then cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before proceeding).

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Uncover cassoulet and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Serves 10.