Duck Fat Magic Is The Key To Perfect Cassoulet
Those of you who read my Beef Bourguignon Plan B article are already familiar with the near tragedy that happened when the cassoulet kit I had ordered from D’Artagnan failed to arrive due to horrible weather that delayed shipments. D’Artagnan is a great company, and the delay was not their fault. All true foodies need to know about D’Artagnan. They are online purveyors of wonderful high-quality meats and fowl. I get their e-newsletter and am always delighted to see sales and free shipping offers, which makes their splendid products almost affordable.
Since I could not make cassoulet for my dinner party, I was left with a nagging need that demanded fulfillment. So, you can imagine my delight when the cassoulet kits went on sale! The kit is offered in two sizes. A half-sized kit that feeds 4 to 6 is available, and that is what I decided to order. Everything arrived on time and in perfect condition. The kit contains straightforward, easy-to-follow directions. While cassoulet is time-consuming (plan to start it three days before you want to serve it), there is nothing particularly tricky or complicated about it. And yet, I still managed to screw it up.
On Day 1, you soak the tarbais beans, the dish's foundation. Plan to soak them overnight. The next day you will cook the beans with ventreche, carrots, a clove-studded onion, and a bouquet garni, which you assemble by tying up some herbs in cheesecloth. After the beans are cooked, remove the bouquet garni, the onion, and the ventreche. Chop the ventreche into bite-size pieces.
Cut the pieces of duck confit in two by separating the thighs from the legs. Everyone must have a piece of duck in their bowl. Brown the duck sausages and cut them up. Slice the garlic sausage.
Layer half of the beans into a Dutch oven generously greased with duck fat. Then layer in the meats and top with the remaining beans.
This is where I went wrong. Because I’d never made a half-size cassoulet before, I miscalculated and didn’t leave enough beans to cover the meats completely. Nevertheless, I added the duck fat and duck Demi-glacé as instructed and put it in the oven.
I was worried that the meats peeking through the beans might dry out. After cooking, I sampled a piece of the meat and didn’t find it too dry. However, the recipe demands that the cassoulet sit overnight in the fridge for at least one day. This caused concern because I feared the meat would dry out when I had to cook it again the next day to get it hot enough to serve my guests. And it is supposed to be served very hot!
What to do? What to do? I needed more beans but had no time to soak and cook them. I went to the store and bought two cans of cannellini beans. I brought them home and tossed them with duck fat, salt, and pepper before layering them on top of the cooked cassoulet. Back in the oven, it went. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I’d gotten the idea from an article on Serious Eats (a great foodie website). The author had wondered if he could make a cassoulet using chicken legs if he rubbed them with duck fat. The duck fat was magical, making the chicken taste like duck.
My cassoulet developed a nice brown crusty top, just like the tarbais beans had. And when eaten, the cannellini beans looked and tasted exactly like the other beans. Cassoulet saved! It was absolutely delicious. Duck fat was indeed the miracle ingredient. Who knew?
In case you are wondering what all the fuss is about, cassoulet is a rustic peasant dish originating in the Languedoc area of France. Various towns and villages in the region argue over which version is best, with each area fiercely defending its method. It’s normally made in a large earthenware vessel which gives the dish its name. However, my Le Creuset Dutch oven was the perfect size for the smaller kit.
To learn more about cassoulet, visit the D’Artagnan website. While you’re at it, salivate over the wonderful foods they have for sale. Just don’t drool on your computer, okay?