Duck cassoulet is the perfect winter fare. It’s a fantastic, hearty dish with layers of flavor that come together beautifully.
Cassoulet is the classic one-dish meal of the Southwest of France. Winter is here, and I could not be happier. Not because it is cold, that part I can live without, but because I can make hearty meals, and since duck is my favorite, this recipe is a must. if you are like me, here is another great recipe to enjoy. Duck Breast with Port and Cherry Sauce.
Let me assure you, this cassoulet is not difficult at all. However, it will take you a few hours to prepare it. The result? A fantastic meal that will be gone in an instant.
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The recipe has two components: the beans and the meats. They are cooked separately and assembled for the last cooking. It is a simple dish that initially was a peasant meal to enjoy the seasonal ingredients.
Cassoulet can be prepared a few days ahead, as the meat flavors develop slowly and need time to incorporate. It can be enjoyed at the Reveillon or New Year’s Eve, symbolizing good fortune for the upcoming year.
I grew up enjoying it quite often. It was one of my dad’s favorite dishes, and any time our local traiteur made it, we had it for dinner—a treat each time.
A short family anecdote:
My brother was visiting for the holidays, and I wanted to surprise him with this childhood dish. As soon as he heard the word cassoulet, his face brightened, and with a fork in hand, he was ready to eat.
My office is near the kitchen, and I could hear the morning coffee brewing, happy conversations, and the in and out of the fridge. Then, all of a sudden, silence. You know, when you have a child playing and out of the blue, no sounds come from the room, you know that they are up to no good. This was the same. Of course, I decided to slowly walk into the kitchen, curious why you could hear a fly in the room.
So here I see my husband and brother, spoon in hand, digging into my cassoulet with not a care in the world. The look on their faces was precious when they saw me.
Note to self: make more, you never know.
In this Article
- What is cassoulet?
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed for your Cassoulet
- Equipment you will need
- Step-by-step on how to cook this duck cassoulet
- Pro Tips
- What is traditionally served with cassoulet?
- Storing and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you enjoy this delicious French cassoulet recipe, look at my other recipes.
- Duck Cassoulet
What is cassoulet?
Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooking stew or casserole from southern France. It is typically made with white beans and pork sausages but can also include goose or mutton.
Simmered in a large tapered pot, like a Dutch oven, French oven, or cocotte, until all the flavors blend and the beans absorb them.
The origins of this dish are a bit disputed. Some say that peasants originally made it during the Hundred Years War.
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed for your Cassoulet
This is a short introduction. The ingredient list is also brief. It includes essential items that you may already have in your pantry. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.
Navy beans – There is no need to soak navy beans with this recipe. Great Northern beans or traditional French flageolets beans can be used instead. White kidney beans and cannellini beans are okay if that is the only option you have.
Vegetables: Leeks, onions, carrots, tomatoes
Garlic – crushed renders lots of flavors
Tomato paste – add richness and depth of flavor to your tomatoes
Bouquet garni – a combination of bay leaves, dry thyme or fresh thyme sprigs, and parsley tied up in a cheesecloth.
Pancetta – brings the natural saltiness to this cassoulet recipe. It can be replaced with thick bacon, but not one that is smoked.
Chicken stock – or sodium-free canned chicken stock or chicken broth.
Garlic sausage – if your local butcher does not have it in stock, ask them to provide you with one. It’s a must!
Duck – have your butcher cut it into pieces. If you cannot find whole duck, a combination of breasts and duck legs will be perfect.
Boneless pork shoulder – will become tender while cooking and give you a richness of flavor and taste.
Salt and black pepper – your seasoning
Stale country bread – processed to fine breadcrumbs in a food processor.
Equipment you will need
Please follow the link to access the product of your preference. I only suggest products that I use and love. Check out Giangi’s Favorite Kitchen Essentials, gadgets and cookware!
Le Creuset Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven – I cannot live without mine. It weighs a ton due to the enamel cast iron. But worth the investment and the muscles. Your meat will cook evenly and be a breeze to clean.
I strongly suggest adding one to your kitchen arsenal. As you can see from the picture above, mine has a story and has been my faithful kitchen partner for over 35 years. The newer ones have easier-to-handle handles and have a smoother bottom.
Step-by-step on how to cook this duck cassoulet
With all my recipes, please assemble all the ingredients before starting cooking and baking.
Ask your butcher to cut the duck for you. It saves you time, and they are better equipped to cut through bones.
Start with the beans.
- Add the dried beans, vegetables, tomato paste, bouquet garni, pancetta, stock, and cold water to a boil in a heavy enamel casserole or Dutch oven. Skim off the foam. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for one and a half hours.
- Pick the sausage with a fork, add it to the beans, and cook for about 15 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, cook the meats
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Season generously the duck pieces and the pork. Place them next to each other, the duck skin-side down, on a roasting pan and roast for about two hours,
Once the beans and the meats are cooked, you can start working on the fun part.
- Place the sausage, pancetta, onion, carrot, leek, and bouquet garni on a baking sheet. Discard the onion, sleep, and bouquet garni.
- When the duck and pork are cooked, pour 1/4 cup of the fat from the roasting pan into a measuring cup and set aside.
- Discard any remaining fat, deglaze the pan by adding liquid from the beans, and bring to a boil.
- Add the liquid from the deglazing back to the beans.
- Remove the casing from the sausage and slice it into 3/4-inch thick slices. Slice the pancetta into strips.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees,
- Transfer the beans to another larger Dutch oven and start layering the various ingredients. Start with about one-third of the beans, followed by altering layers of each of the meats and ending with the beans.
- Moisten the bread crumbs with the reserved fat and spread them over the entire surface of the beans.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until a nice crust forms on the top.
- Break it and push it down into the beans, and continue cooking,
- Once all the cooking is done, let your cassoulet rest for 20 minutes. It will be very hot inside, so be careful when digging in.
Serve right from the casserole you cooked in, and ensure everyone has a piece of each meat.
Pro Tips
Do not use canned beans, as they will not perform the same and will make a smushy mess.
It is crucial to start the beans in cold water and bring them to a boil slowly; otherwise, they will harden and not cook properly.
What is traditionally served with cassoulet?
This rich and earthy stew is traditionally served with a simple green salad, crusty bread, and light red wine.
The bread is a classic choice to absorb the delicious sauce of the cassoulet.
Storing and Reheating
Make-ahead: This recipe is terrific if made the day before and warmed up the next day. This will allow all the ingredients to fuse.
Storing: Store in the cooking pot or a glass airtight container for up to two days.
Reheating: Bring it back to room temperature and heat it in the oven at 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes or until warm enough to be enjoyable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to serve duck cassoulet?
You have to balance the richness of the cassoulet. Therefore, a great salad or cherry tomato salad is a great side.
What is the Holy Trinity of food in France?
The Holy Trinity of French cooking is mirepoix, the trio created by cooking together chopped carrots, onion, and celery. It is often used in stock, soups, and stews, and it can be used raw, roasted, or sauteed with butter.
What is the trio of French cooking?
The trio of aromatic vegetables, carrots, onions, and celery provides a flavorful foundation for countless dishes, adding layers of complexity to stocks, soups, and stews.
What is the significance of cassoulet?
Cassoulet is deeply rooted in the culinary heritage of southwest France, particularly in the Toulouse region. It celebrates local ingredients and cooking techniques. It is more than just a dish, it is the symbolism of regional culinary pride.
If you enjoy this delicious French cassoulet recipe, look at my other recipes.
Duck Cassoulet
Ingredients
BEANS
- 2 pounds died Navy Beans, picked and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 leek, trimmed leaving some green, split and washed
- 1 onion, peeled and tuck with two whole cloves
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut in half
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped – about 3 cups
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bouquet garni, (2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoons dry thyme, 4-5 fresh parsley tied up in a cheesecloth)
- 1 pound pancetta
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock, or sodium-free canned chicken stock
- 6 cups water
- 1½ pounds garlic sausage
MEATS
- 5 pounds ducks, (have the butcher put it into pieces)
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 4 sliced stale country bread, processed to fine crumbs in a food processor – 1 1/2 cup
Instructions
FOR THE BEANS
- Put the beans in an 8 to 10-quart heavy enameled casserole. Add the salt, leek, onion, carrot, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, bouquet garni, pancetta, stock and cold water and bring slowly to a boil, skimming off the froth. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 ½ hours.
- Pick the sausage with a fork, add to the beans, and cook for about 15 minutes longer.
WHILE THE BEANS ARE COOKING, COOK THE MEAT
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the duck and pork with salt and pepper. Place them side by side in a roasting pan and roast for 1 ½ hour to 2 hours.
- When the beans are cooked (they should be tender but not mushy), turn off the heat.
- Lift the sausage, pancetta, onion, carrot, leek and bouquet garni form the casserole onto a baking sheet.
- Discard the onion, carrot, leek and bouquet garni.
- When the duck and pork are cooked, pour ¼ cup of the fat from the roasting pan into a measuring cup and set aside. Discard any remaining fat and deglaze the pan by adding ½ cup of the cooking liquid from the beans to the pan and bringing to a boil, stirring to melt all the solidified cooking juices. Add the liquid to the beans.
- Remove the casing from the sausage and cut the sausage into ¾ – inch-thick slices. Slice the pancetta into strips ½ inch wide by 3 inches long.
- Slice the pork roast lengthwise in half and then into 1-inch-thick slices and set aside in a dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Transfer the beans to another container, then layer the various ingredients in the casserole, starting with about one third of the beans, followed by alternating layers each of the meats and more beans ending with beans.
- Moisten the bread crumbs with the reserved fat and spread them over the entire surface of the beans.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until a crust forms on top. Break the crust and push it into the beans with a large spoon, then continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
- At the end of the cooking time the casserole can rest out of the oven for 20 minutes before serving.
- Serve straight from the casserole, giving each person some of the various ingredients
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
Did you make this?
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