- 4 tbsp. duck fat
- 12 oz. salt pork, one or two chunks
- 1 whole duck (~5 lbs.) + 4 duck breasts
- 1 lb. pork shoulder, cubed 3/4"
- 2 lbs. garlicky fresh pork sausage (kielbasa), cut into chunks
- 1.5 lbs. dried cannelini beans, soaked in saltwater overnight
- 8 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 quarts homemade stock (duck or otherwise)
- 1.5 packets unflavored gelatin (about .4 oz)
- Bouquet garnis:
- 10 thyme sprigs
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 cloves
- 2 medium shallots, diced
- 1 small bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 head of garlic, whole unpeeled
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 3 ribs celery, whole
- 4 cippolini onions or 3 medium yellow onions, diced
- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1/4 c. minced garlic
- 4 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- Mix marinade:
- 6 sprigs thyme
- vegetable oil
- 1 c. water
- shallots
- Part out the duck. Reserve carcass for later stock.
- Prepare breasts only:
- Crosshatch the fat with a sharp knife.
- Salt generously
- Refrigerate uncovered for 2+ hours.
- In a shallow container, pour marinade. Place the parted-out whole duck into the container skin-side up, on top of the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours up 8 hours.
- Drain beans. Cover in water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer beans for 3 minutes only. Drain.
- Tie celery and parsley with twine.
- After marinated, place duck on a rack to drip dry. When mostly dry, pat with paper towels.
- Blot the pork shoulder cubes with paper towel.
- Heat 3 tbsp. duck fat in large dutch oven or casserole over moderate heat.
- Brown salt pork. Remove to plate.
- Brown the pork shoulder cubes. Remove to plate.
- Brown the sausage. Remove to container and refrigerate.
- Brown the dried duck, skin side down first, remove to container and refrigerate.
- Saute onions until golden. Add crushed tomatoes and two porks back to the pot. Simmer to toast the pork with the tomatoes, about 5 minutes.
- Add dry white wine to deglaze. Add carrots, celery, parsley, bouquet garnis, head of garlic, and 2 quarts stock. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Stir in gelatin and simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes.
- Add beans to liquid and remove from heat. Allow to cool.
- Refrigerate entire dutch oven or casserole overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Remove dutch oven/casserole from refrigerator. Remove any solidified fat from the top of the mixture and reserve. Allow to come to room temperature.
- Fish out bouquet garnis and tied celery/parsley and discard.
- Remove salt pork and head of garlic from casserole and set aside.
- Peel the removed head of garlic and cut salt pork into small chunks. Process these together in a food processor until a paste is formed.
- Bring the cassoulet to a simmer.
- Stir in garlic and salt pork paste. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, on a sheet pan, place the whole duck (minus the breasts) and roast until just heated through. Remove the pan and reduce heat to 325F.
- Add browned duck (not breasts, skin side up, on the top layer of the cassoulet. Barely cover with remainder of stock if necessary.
- Bake for 2 hours with cover cracked. Reduce heat to 275F.
- Nestle sausages into the cassoulet. Drizzle with reserved fat. Bake for 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook duck breasts:
- In a fry pan, place remaining 1 tbsp. duck fat and heat over moderately high heat.
- Brown duck breasts skin-side down.
- Place on a small sheet pan with a rack, skin-side up.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven alongside the cassoulet until internal temperature reaches 140F.
- Remove and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Top with sliced duck breast on the plate.