French cassoulet was traditionally a poor man’s dish. The original intent was to make something hearty from whatever meat and vegetables were on hand. Since then, some chefs have elevated cassoulet to gourmet status, and preparing the dish can often be a two- or even three-day project, particularly if you include duck confit. The process requires curing the duck legs and then slowly cooking them in fat for several hours—all before they ever make it into the bean dish. Additionally, many cassoulet recipes call for an assortment of meats, from different cuts of pork and sausage to lamb and even chicken.
I generally prefer to keep things simple, so this cassoulet recipe focuses on two meats: goose or duck legs and andouille sausage. It’s a streamlined, approachable version that delivers the spirit of cassoulet without requiring you to spend days in the kitchen. Still, set aside half a day to prepare this dish. While I offer you an abridged version, it does take time for all the flavors to develop and blend and for the meat to become tender, especially if you’re using goose legs, which can be notoriously tough.
Waterfowl Cassoulet
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 2 to 3 pounds duck legs or Canada goose legs, skin on or off
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 pound Cajun-style andouille sausage, cut into 4-inch pieces
- 1 pound dried great northern beans or cannellini beans
- 3 cups water
- 3-plus tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large leek, white parts only, chopped
- 1 carrot, cut in half
- 2 celery ribs, cut in half
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs parsley
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chardonnay
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon melted duck fat or olive oil
- Freshly cracked pepper
PREPARATION
1. The night before, combine the dried beans, water, and 3 tablespoons of kosher salt in a large bowl. Set it on the counter to soak for 8 to 24 hours. Then strain the beans, rinse with water, and set aside to drain.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Place chopped bacon in an unheated 9-quart enameled Dutch oven. Cook on the stovetop over medium heat to slowly render the bacon. Remove bacon and set aside, reserving the bacon fat in the Dutch oven.
3. Lightly season the goose or duck legs with kosher salt, then brown them in the bacon fat over medium-high heat, remove them, and set them aside. You may need to do this step in batches. Once all the legs have been browned and removed from the Dutch oven, brown the andouille sausage, then remove it and set it aside.
4. Lower heat to medium. Add oil to the Dutch oven if more grease is needed. Cook the onion, leek, carrot, and celery until onion becomes translucent, stirring occasionally. With your fingers, rub the head of garlic to remove as much of the loose paper husk as you can, and then slice off the top to expose the cloves. Add the garlic head to the Dutch oven, along with tomato paste, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and cloves. Stir for 2 minutes—do not allow aromatics to brown.
5. Add diced tomato with juices, cooked bacon, strained beans, and chardonnay, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to release browned bits. Nestle the browned duck or goose legs and sausage into the beans. Then add enough chicken stock to fully submerge the beans (about 2 cups), reserving the rest. Bring to a simmer. Tightly cover the Dutch oven, place it in the oven, and bake for 2 to 4 hours, flipping the goose or duck legs halfway through.
6. Continue cooking in the oven until the legs become tender. The resulting mixture should thicken and become saucy, but not so much that the beans dry out and start to burn. Check periodically, adding a splash of stock whenever needed.
7. Remove the Dutch oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Remove and discard the celery, carrot, thyme and parsley sprigs, bay leaves, cloves, and head of garlic. Make sure the goose or duck legs are mostly submerged in the beans to prevent them from drying out. In a bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the melted duck fat or olive oil and then sprinkle this mixture on top of the meat and beans. Return Dutch oven to the oven, lid off, and bake until the bean mixture thickens and the bread crumbs become golden. If you’re happy with the consistency of the beans, turn on the broiler to quickly brown the bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a zesty salad and/or crusty sourdough bread.
About the Author
Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley is an outdoor writer, photographer, and editor based in Nebraska. She cut her teeth in the kitchen cooking wild game.
