how2heroes » Cajun Duck Cassoulet

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Serves 4 (and yields extra duck confit & stewed beans*)

Ingredients

For Duck Confit

8-10 ducks legs
salt & pepper for seasoning
1½ cups olive oil
1½ cups duck fat (or use additional olive oil)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp ginger, sliced
10 cloves garlic, whole

For Cassoulet

1 qt dried red kidney beans
2 tbsp canola oil
5-8 cloves garlic, sliced
½ jalapeno pepper, sliced
3" piece of ginger, peeled & thinly sliced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup Spanish onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 cups andouille sausage, sliced ½" thick + ½ link, split
2 tbsp jerk seasoning
2 tbsp dark chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp allspice
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 qts chicken stock
1 qt water
2 tbsp duck fat (reserved from duck confit)
½ cup croutons (cornbread suggested)
olive oil for drizzling

How-to

Day Ahead Preparations - Soak Beans & Make Duck Confit

Soak beans in water overnight
Preheat oven to 300º
Season duck legs with salt & pepper. Place in a large, shallow baking dish with garlic cloves, sliced ginger & thyme
Top with duck fat and olive oil (if duck fat cannot be found, more olive oil can be used in place)
Bake, uncovered 1-1¼ hours. Remove and allow to cool. Reserve 2 tbsp fat for cooking

Assemble & Finish Cassoulet

Preheat oven to 450º
Heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
Sauté ginger, garlic and jalapeno pepper for 2 minutes
Add bell pepper, onion and celery. Soften for 3-5 minutes
Add sliced andouille and saute for 2 minutes
Drain the kidney beans and add to the pot
Add spices, thyme sprigs and stir. Pour in chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 1-1¼ hours until the beans are tender, and the mixture has slightly thickened
Heat reserved fat from duck confit in saute pan over medium-high heat
Salt both sides of 2-4 confit duck legs and add to pan
Add split andouille sausage to pan, split-side down. Sear both duck and sausage 2 minutes per side
Ladle bean mixture into oven-proof serving dish (or individual, smaller dishes such as clay cazuelas). (There will be extra beans left over.) Top with croutons and bake 3-5 minutes
Remove from oven and garnish with fresh thyme and a drizzle of olive oil for sheen

*Note: The recipe yields extra duck confit and stewed beans. Keep duck in refrigerator submerged in fat, and use for a variety of dishes, for example, seared, pulled and served atop salad greens, etc. The stewed beans can be served as an entree atop rice

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Rembs Layman

When Rembs Layman tilts his head and smiles, you're immediately won over. Having family in New England and Louisiana, he experienced the best of both food worlds which he shares as Executive Chef at Tupelo in Cambridge, MA. Locals love his down-home "comfort food with a Southern drawl," and he has an ever-increasing following for his incredible Sunday offerings of Fried Chicken, Gumbo, Jambalaya and Sweet Southern Pies.