Cassoulet
This dish is CRAZY. Our instructor at the cooking school, Chef David Moeller, made this for us one day during class. As he described it, I thought to myself, I’m just going to half to fake it. I’ll take a bite, pretend I like it, and be done. Well it was DELICIOUS. It felt like he put every animal that ever existed in that pot. This is one of those dishes that the poor country folk in Europe used to make with just whatever leftovers they had.
Recently, I saw Cassoulet on the menu at a local French restaurant and was so excited to try it. It was…pas bien. I’ll stick with this version.
Cassoulet
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and fat reserved
- 1 pound smoked pork tenderloin or ham, cubed
- 2 duck legs, cooked confit
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage
- 1/4 pound mirepoix, small dice
- 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 cloves of roasted garlic
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- Lamb loin, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a cast iron Dutch oven, sauté mirepoix in bacon fat, until sweaty, not browned.
- Add in the beans, cooked bacon and incorporate.
- Add in the ham, sausage, and the chicken stock to moisten.
- Add in the herbs and roasted garlic.
- Place the duck on top.
- Sprinkle over the bread crumbs and place into oven until bubbly and hot.
Notes
Should NOT be soupy. Don’t over stir!
Duck confit- submerge legs/thighs in duck fat (oil will work) in a crockpot and cook on low for hours.
Roasting garlic- peel garlic, toss in a little oil, wrap in foil and then roast in oven.
Lamb loins- Cube the meat, sear it, toss it in with ham and sausage.