Duck And Lamb Cassoulet Food

WHOLE-DUCK CASSOULET

Steps:

• Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the beans. Remove from heat and let soak for 1 hour.
• Cut the bacon slab into 4 large chunks and cover in water in another saucepan; turn the heat to medium, and when the water boils, turn it down to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes.
• Make a bouquet garni by combining the parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves and whole cloves in a piece of cheesecloth and tying it into a bundle. (I never use cheesecloth myself but turn to my old tea ball, which is around for only this purpose.) Add it, along with the bacon, to the beans; bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, skimming occasionally, until the beans are just tender, 45 to 90 minutes. (Add water if necessary; ideally the beans will be moist but not swimming when they're done.) Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper. Put 3 tablespoons reserved duck fat in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the lamb and brown the pieces well. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 or 6 minutes; turn off heat.
• Remove the duck confit from the refrigerator and scrape off the fat; debone and shred the meat. Add the meat and garlic cloves to the pot with the lamb, along with 2 cups duck stock, tomatoes, chopped garlic and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is very tender, 1 to 1.5 hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• When you're ready to assemble the cassoulet, discard the bouquet garni. Cut the fat from the meat and cut the meat into small pieces.
• Heat 2 tablespoons reserved duck fat in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook, turning as necessary until well browned; transfer to a cutting board and slice into quarter-inch rounds; don't wash out the pan.
• Heat the oven to 375. Transfer a layer of beans to a large enameled cast-iron pot with a slotted spoon to leave behind most of the cooking liquid. Layer half of the sausage and bacon on top, then another layer of beans, then half the duck-and-lamb mixture; repeat the layers until you have used all the beans and meat.
• Put the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, uncovered, then turn off heat. Cover with bread crumbs and chopped parsley leaves and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• While the cassoulet is in the oven, put the skillet used for cooking the sausage over medium-high heat. When it's hot, cook the duck breasts, skin-side down, until they release easily from the pan, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook to rare, just another minute or 2. Remove the duck from the pan with a slotted spoon and pour the drippings from the pan over the cassoulet; reduce oven heat to 350.
• Bake the cassoulet until it's hot, bubbling and crusted around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes; add a little duck stock if it starts to look too dry. Slice the duck breasts on the diagonal and transfer them to the pot, tucking them into the bread crumbs. Cook until the breasts are medium rare, another 5 minutes or so, then serve.

DUCK CASSOULET

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown the sliced sausage over medium heat.
• Insert whole cloves into onion. Roll bacon up, and tie with a string. Tie together parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
• In a large slow cooker, place soaked beans, sausage, bacon, onion studded with cloves, fresh herbs, bay leaf, carrots, minced garlic, and duck. Add enough water to cover the other ingredients. Cook for 1 hour on HIGH. Reduce heat to LOW, and continue cooking for 6 to 8 hours.
• Remove onion, bacon, and herbs. Stir in chopped tomatoes. Continue cooking for 1/2 hour. Serve.

ALL-DAY SLOW-COOKER CASSOULET

Steps:

• Put the beans in a medium bowl, cover with about 3 inches of water, and soak overnight. Or put the beans in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and soak for 1 hour. Then drain.
• Meanwhile, cut the duck into 8 pieces: 2 breast halves, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 2 wings. Trim off all visible fat and excess skin and set the fat and skin aside. Season the duck pieces and lamb with the salt and pepper and set aside.
• Cook the duck fat and skin in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until between 1/4 and 1/3 cup fat is in the pan, about 4 minutes. Remove the solid pieces of fat and skin and discard. Brown the duck in the hot fat on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, and set aside. Brown the lamb, about 4 minutes per side, and set aside. Brown the sausage pieces on all sides, about 3 minutes per side, and set aside.
• Add the onion and celery to the skillet and sauté until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, and cloves and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the beef broth and tomatoes, return to a boil, and remove from the heat.
• To assemble the cassoulet:
• Layer the beans and meats, in alternating layers (4 of beans, 3 of meat), starting and ending with the beans. Pour the liquid over all, cover the cooker, and cook until the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours on low.
• Preheat an oven to 350°F. Mix the breadcrumbs and parsley and scatter over the top of the cassoulet. Transfer the crock with the cassoulet to the oven and bake until the top is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Soak and cook beans:
• Cover beans with cold water by 2 inches in a large bowl and soak 8 to 12 hours. Drain in a colander.
• Transfer beans to a 6- to 8-quart pot and bring to a boil with 8 cups cold water, broth, tomato paste, onion, and 2 tablespoons garlic. Put celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni. Add bouquet garni to beans, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in tomatoes with juice and simmer until beans are just tender, about 15 minutes more.
• Prepare duck and sausage while beans simmer:
• Remove all skin and fat from duck legs and cut skin and fat into 1/2-inch pieces. Separate duck meat from bones, leaving it in large pieces, and transfer meat to a bowl. Add bones to bean pot.
• Cook duck skin and fat with remaining 1/4 cup cold water in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until water is evaporated and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until skin is crisp, 3 to 6 minutes more. Transfer cracklings with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, leaving fat in skillet. (You should have about 1/4 cup fat; if not, add olive oil.)
• Brown sausage in batches in fat in skillet, then transfer to bowl with duck meat, reserving skillet.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Make bread crumb topping:
• Add remaining tablespoon garlic to fat in skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cracklings.
• Assemble casserole:
• Remove bouquet garni and duck bones from beans and discard, then stir in kielbasa, duck meat, remaining teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Ladle cassoulet into casserole dish, distributing meat and beans evenly. (Meat and beans should be level with liquid; if they are submerged, ladle excess liquid back into pot and boil until reduced, then pour back into casserole dish.) Spread bread crumb topping evenly over cassoulet and bake, uncovered, in lower third of oven, until bubbling and crust is golden, about 1 hour.
• Available at some butcher shops and D'Artagnan (800-327-8246).

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Make the bean stew: Soak the beans overnight in enough cold water to cover them well. Drain, rinse, and pick through them for stones and damaged beans. In a large saucepan, cover the pig's foot or ham hock, pork belly or pancetta, and pork rind with cold water. Bring to a boil, simmer for 3 minutes, drain, and rinse in cold water. Reserve. In a large saucepan, cover the beans with lukewarm water. Bring to a boil, drain, and return to the pan. Cover with hot water. Add the carrots, onion, tomato, celery, garlic, and herb bouquet. Bring to a boil, add the reserved pig's foot or ham hock, pork belly or pancetta, and pork rind. Simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 hours, until completely tender (don't add salt yet). Transfer to a large pan to cool and reserve the beans in their cooking liquid. Remove the carrot, onion, and herb bouquet; discard. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, but be prudent, as the pork parts add a good bit of salty flavor.
• Meanwhile, make the lamb stew: Cut the lamb into 2-1/2-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the duck fat or heat the oil. Sear the lamb pieces until well browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the carrot and onion, lower the heat to medium, and cover the pan. Sweat the vegetables until tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat, add the white wine, and boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the reserved lamb and any juices, the tomatoes, herb bouquet, garlic, and broth or stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lamb is tender, about 1 hour, skimming off the fat and froth as needed. Discard the herb bouquet and reserve the lamb stew until it's time to assemble the cassoulet.
• Assemble the cassoulet: Heat the oven to 250°F. In a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat half of the duck fat or olive oil. Add the sausage and brown it on all sides. When cool enough to handle, cut it into six pieces.
• Cut the duck confit legs in half at the joint. Rub the garlic clove over the inside of an earthenware casserole, an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, or a large ceramic soufflé mold. Retrieve the pig's foot or ham hock, pork rind, and pork belly or pancetta from the bean stew. Discard the pig's foot or ham hock bones. (If you've used a ham hock, tear off any remaining meat and add it to the bean stew.) Cut the pork belly or pancetta into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve. Cut the pork rind into 1/2-inch pieces and scatter them over the bottom of the dish.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer one-third of the beans to the dish. Do the same with half the pork belly or pancetta, all of the duck confit, half the lamb stew (again, use a slotted spoon, because you'll be using the cooking liquid later), and all of the sausage. Cover the meats with another one-third of beans, the remaining pork belly and lamb stew, and finish with the last one-third of beans. Combine the bean juices with the lamb sauce, taste for seasoning (remembering that the duck confit is salty), and pour just enough over the dish to barely cover the beans.
• Sprinkle the dish with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining duck fat (melt it first if it's still solid) or olive oil over the breadcrumbs. Bake for 2-1/2 hours and then raise the heat to 350°F and bake until the crust is a rich golden brown and the cassoulet is bubbling around the edges, about another 30 minutes. Check the cassoulet during baking - if it's getting too dry, add more broth or stock; if the crust is browning too quickly, cover it with foil. Let the cassoulet rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. Bring the entire dish to the table and serve each guest some crust, beans, and pieces of the different meats.

LAMB CASSOULET

Steps:

• Rinse beans under running water. Place in large pot with salt pork and bacon; add cold water to cover. Bring to boil and cook 3 minutes. Strain through colander and rinse.
• Return beans, salt pork and bacon to clean pot. Add 6 cups cold water. Stud whole onion with cloves and add to beans. Add carrot, bay leaf, thyme and 2 cloves peeled garlic. Cover and simmer very gently until beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove carrot, onion and garlic from beans and discard. Set pot aside.
• Season shanks with salt. Heat duck fat in casserole or Dutch oven and brown meat on all sides. Remove from pan with slotted spoon; set aside. Add chopped onions, chopped garlic and tomato paste to pan, mixing well. Return shanks to pan and fit saucisson, salt pork and bacon around them. Pour beans and their liquid over. Cover partway and cook over low heat for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove meats from beans. Discard salt pork. Cut lamb and bacon into chunks and slice saucisson into 6 thick pieces. Season well with pepper. Season beans with salt as needed.
• Using slotted spoon, remove half the beans from the casserole. Arrange meats over beans remaining in pan. Spread remaining beans over the meats.
• Cover casserole and bake 1 1/2 hours. Uncover casserole, raise oven setting to 450 degrees and cook until a crust forms on top of the beans, about 20 minutes.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• FOR THE BEANS AND SAUSAGE:.
• In a heavy 4 to 6 quart pot or soup kettle, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Drop the beans in and boil them briskly for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Meanwhile, simmer the salt pork in 1 quart of water for 15 minutes; drain and set aside.
• With the point of a sharp knife, pierce 5 or 6 holes in the sausage; then add the sausage & salt pork to the beans. Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Tie the parsley, celery tops, leek, bay leaves and cloves tightly in the cheesecloth, and add to the beans, along with the onion, 1/2 teaspoon garlic & 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer ncovered for 45 minutes, adding stock or water if needed.
• With tongs, transfer the sausage to a plate and set it aside. Cook the beans and salt pork for another 30 or 40 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
• Remove the salt pork from the beans, pare off the skin and discard the skin. Set aside the salt pork on the same plate as the sausages.
• Drain the beans, RESERVING THE BROTH IN WHICH THEY WERE COOKED. Discard the onion and the boquet garni. Degrease the stock and taste for seasoning. Set the stock aside.
• FOR THE PORK AND LAMB:.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees . In a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet, brown the pork and lamb in the olive oil over medium heat. When the meat is a rich brown on all sides, transfer it with tongs to a dutch oven.
• Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet and saute the onions over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the celery and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Pour in the wine, bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the mixture has been reduced by half. With a rubber spatula, scrape the contents of the skillet into the dutch oven with the meat. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt & pepper to the dutch oven, and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture in the dutch oven to a boil on the top of the stove, cover, and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
• Transfer the meat to the same plate with the sausage & salt pork.
• Strain the liquid the meat was braised in, pressing on the vegetables to release their juice. Discard the vegetables.
• Degrease the braising liquid and add to the reserved bean stock.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the sausage into 1/4 inch slices. Remove the skin from the duck confit and pull all the meat from the bones. Discard the skin and bones (you can leave the skin on if you want, but I think it makes it too fatty -- ). Cut the duck into 1 inch pieces. Cut the salt pork into 1 inch pieces.
• Combine the duck, sausage, salt pork, pork & lamb.
• Spread a 1 inch layer of the beans on the bottom of a large dutch oven. Spread half the meat mixture over these beans, top with another 1 inch layer of beans and the remaining meat mixture, ending with a final layer of beans.
• Pour the reserved bean stock/ braising liquid over the beans until it almost covers them (if there isn't enough stock, you can add chicken stock or water to make up the difference).
• Mix together the bread crumbs and parsley, and spread over the top of the cassoulet. Pour the 2 tablespoons duck fat, goose fat, or melted butter on top of the parsley/crumb mixture.
• Bring the casserole to a boil on top of the stove, then bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 and 1/4 hours, or until the crumbs have formed a firm, brown crust.
• Push the crust down into the cassoulet, bringing more fresh beans & meat to the top.
• Place the casserole under the broiler and broil until the top is brown and crusty.
• Remove from the oven and let cool. Push the second crust down into the cassoulet. Cover and refrigerate.
• The day you want to serve the cassoulet, bake in the oven, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then remove the cover and broil the top until it is brown and crusty.

CROCK POT LAMB AND SAUSAGE CASSOULET LOW CARB

Steps:

• Rinse beans; place in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet brown lamb in hot oil. Drain off fat. In a 3 ½ to 5 quart slow cooker combine the beans, lamb, broth, kielbasa, fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (if using), garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
• If using low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in the eggplant, sweet pepper, and tomato paste. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaf. If using, stir in fresh thyme. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. If desired, serve over hot cooked rice.
• Prep: 25 minutes.
• Stand: 1 hour.
• Cook: LOW 8 to 10 hours, HIGH 4 to 5 hours plus 30 minutes.
• Makes: 6 servings.
• Slow Cooker: 3 ½ to 5 quart.
• BHG Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes.

SIMPLIFIED CASSOULET

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place lamb cubes in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, turning to coat.
• Place Italian sausages, 1 cup water, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy roasting pan set over two burners. Cover with heavy-duty foil and turn heat to medium-high. Cook until sausages lose their raw color, about 5 minutes. Remove foil (reserve it) and continue to cook until water evaporates. Add smoked sausages and cook, turning frequently, until all sausages are browned, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut Italian sausages into bite-size chunks. Halve smoked sausages lengthwise. Set aside.
• Generously sprinkle duck breasts with salt and pepper. Reduce heat under roasting pan and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook until fat has rendered and skin is mahogany brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Turn duck breasts over and continue to cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.
• Remove duck from pan. Drain fat from pan and reserve. Slice each breast crosswise into 4 pieces.
• Return roasting pan to medium-high heat. Add lamb cubes and cook, turning once, until a brown crust forms on two sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to a large ovenproof pot; set roasting pan aside. Add broth mixture and wine to lamb and cover with reserved foil, pressing down so that it almost touches meat, then sealing foil around top of pot, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a few minutes to burn off alcohol. Seal foil completely, then cover pot with lid. Bake, without checking pot, for 1 hour and 15 minutes; meat will be very tender.
• Meanwhile, reheat roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add enough reserved duck fat or olive oil to pan to equal 2 tablespoons. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add prosciutto and thyme and saute to blend flavors, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and beans and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Transfer cooked lamb and broth to roasting pan. Add duck, sausages, and enough water to make a soupy, moist casserole. You can let the cassoulet mixture stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• An hour before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring cassoulet to a simmer.
• Mix bread crumbs, melted butter, and parsley and sprinkle over cassoulet. Bake until crumbs are golden and stew is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, and serve.

TRADITIONAL CASSOULET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven: Set an oven rack to the center and preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Bake the cassoulet: Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and set it in the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes without opening the lid.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Drain the beans and put into a large heavy casserole, preferably enameled cast iron, with bacon, pork rind, garlic, 1 onion, the carrot, and the bouquet garni. Cover with the 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beans are barely tender, about 1 hour. Drain and return to casserole, discarding onion and bouquet garni.
• Add the remaining onion, the duck legs, demi-glace mixture, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the bean mixture in a colander over a bowl and reserve 5 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard bacon and pork rind. Remove the duck legs and cut each in half at the joint. Season beans with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place half the bean mixture in casserole. Add duck legs, duck sausage, and garlic sausage, and cover with remaining beans. Add reserved cooking liquid and drizzle the duck fat over the top. 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 F. Uncover cassoulet and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Turn the oven to 170C. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon until just crisp. Tip into a shallow, flameproof casserole with a lid. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and fry for 5 mins, until softened. Tip into the casserole.
• Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the chicken thighs until golden brown all over, then add to the casserole. Fry the sausages until brown and add to the casserole with the beans. Pour the stock into the pan, scraping any bits from the bottom, and bring to the boil. Add the tomato puree, tomatoes and herbs, stir well, then pour intion the casserole and season.
• Remove from the heat and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the surface in a thick, even layer. Bake uncovered for about 30 mins, until a golden crust is formed. Serve warm.
• Make the dish to the end of step 2, Cool, then transfer to a freezerproof container, cover and freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat from frozen: turn the oven to 160C. Transfer the cassoulet to a casserole and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Cook for 1 hour 25 mins or until hot and bubbling and a crust has formed.