Best 2 White Bean Sausage Duck Confit Cassoulet David Lebovitz Recipes

When the weather turns cold, there’s nothing quite like a hearty cassoulet to warm you up. This classic French stew is typically made with white beans, sausage, duck confit, and a variety of vegetables. It’s a labor of love, but it’s well worth the effort. With a little planning, you can have a delicious cassoulet on the table in no time.

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WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH DUCK CONFIT

White Bean Soup With Duck Confit image

Evocative of cassoulet but so much easier, this bean soup manages to be both rugged and elegant. No part of the confit duck legs goes to waste.

Provided by Paul Grimes

Categories Soup/Stew Blender Bean Duck Tomato Cognac/Armagnac Fall Simmer Gourmet

Yield Makes 6 (main course) servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 pound dried white beans such as cannellini (2 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed
4 Confit Duck Legs at room temperature
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
2 large thyme sprigs
2 whole cloves
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 cups water
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup Armagnac or Cognac
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

Quick-soak beans by putting them in cold water to cover by 2 inches in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover, then soak 1 hour. Drain, discarding liquid.
Remove skin and bones from duck legs, reserving both, then coarsely shred meat.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook reserved bones, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and cloves, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
Add drained beans, broth, water, and tomatoes and simmer, partially covered, stirring and skimming froth occasionally, until beans are tender, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, thinly slice reserved skin, then lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook in a dry medium nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring to separate, until fat is rendered and skin is crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
Discard bay leaves, bones, and thyme from soup. Transfer 2 cups solids and 1 cup liquid from soup to a blender and blend until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return to soup. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and keep warm, covered.
Heat Armagnac in a small saucepan over low heat just until warm, then carefully ignite with a kitchen match (use caution; flames will shoot up). When flames subside, stir Armagnac into soup along with meat, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with crisp skin.

CONFIT OF DUCK BREAST AND SAUSAGE CASSOULET

Confit of Duck Breast and Sausage Cassoulet image

This is a slow cooker recipe. The beans in it can cooked up to 2 days in advance. It may be cooked for 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours on low or 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 on high. It takes quite a bit of preparation, so it's served for special occasions. From Sunset magazine, slightly modified. Posted for ZWT 5.

Provided by Mami J

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 5h40m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 lb great northern bean, cooked (see intro)
4 -5 boned duck breasts (2 - 2 1/2 lbs total)
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 lb thick sliced bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup dry red wine (Beaujolais Nouveau or Zinfandel)
1 tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb sausage, sliced 1/2 in thick

Steps:

Drain cooked beans and pour into an electric slow cooker (4 1/2 qt or larger).
Remove skin from duck breasts. Place breasts on a bowl and add salt and sugar. Let sit 30 minutes, refrigerated. Rinse breasts well under running water and cut meat into 1 in chunks.
In a large skillet, brown bacon until crisp. Discard all but 1 tbs fat from skillet. Add onions and garlic to bacon and stir until onion begins to brown. Add broth and wine, bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet.
Pour broth mixture into slow cooker with the beans. Add the rest of the ingredients and place duck pieces on top.Cover pot and cook for 5-6 hours.
Uncover and add the sausage slices. Let cook for 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 608, Fat 35.3, SaturatedFat 10.9, Cholesterol 213.7, Sodium 2355, Carbohydrate 20.7, Fiber 4.5, Sugar 5, Protein 46.5

Tips:

Soak the beans overnight. This will help them cook more evenly and reduce the cooking time.
Use a variety of beans. This will give your cassoulet a more complex flavor and texture.
Don't be afraid to use duck fat. It adds a rich, flavorful depth to the dish.
Cook the cassoulet low and slow. This will allow the flavors to develop and meld together.
Serve the cassoulet with a crusty baguette. This will help you soak up all the delicious juices.

Conclusion:

Cassoulet is a hearty, flavorful dish that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is also a great way to use up leftover duck or sausage. With a little planning and effort, you can make a delicious cassoulet that your family and friends will love.