Seared Duck Breast with Cassoulet Recipe
Ingredients
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2 duck breasts
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4 cups white bean cassoulet (recipe below)
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½ cup breadcrumbs
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½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325° F.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Salt the duck breasts on both sides. Sear the duck, fat-side-down for 8-12 minutes until the fat is rendered, brown, and crispy. Flip the duck breasts and sear the none-fat-side for another 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the breasts to rest for 5 minutes.
Place the beans in 4–6 large ramekins. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake at 325° F, until the beans are hot and breadcrumbs are brown.
Slice the duck breasts into 1/8 inch pieces and top each ramekin with several slices of duck breast. Serve warm.
White Bean Cassoulet
Ingredients
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1½ cups diced bacon
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1 cup breakfast sausage
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1 onion, diced
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1 carrot, diced
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1 celery stalk, diced
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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1 cup dried white beans (soaked in water for at least 2 hours)
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1 cup red wine
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1 sprig thyme
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1 sprig sage
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1 sprig rosemary
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2 bay leaves
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2 quart duck stock (or substitute chicken stock)
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1 cup shredded duck confit (recipe below)
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½ cup cream
Directions
Place a large saucepot over medium heat. Add the bacon and render until crisp, then add the sausage.
Break the sausage into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Once the sausage is brown, add all the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add the beans and stir to incorporate. Deglaze with wine and reduce until the wine is almost gone. Then add the herbs and stock. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, approximately one hour. Stir occasionally.
Once the beans are very soft, stir in the cream and duck confit. Cook another 10 minutes. Remove herb stems, and use in recipe above.
Duck Leg Confit
Ingredients
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2 duck legs
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3 cups duck fat (can substitute oil)
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1 sprig thyme
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1 sprig rosemary
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2 bay leafs
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2 cloves garlic
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1 shallot, sliced
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Salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300° F.
Rinse off the duck legs and pat dry with a paper towel. Thoroughly salt the legs. Heat a heavy bottom saucepot over high heat, then sear the duck legs for 2–3 minutes per side to brown.
Remove from heat and add the duck fat, herbs, garlic and shallots. Cover and place in the oven for 1½ hours or until the meat starts to separate from the bone.
Remove the duck legs from the fat and let them cool until they are easy to handle.
Pick the meat from the bone and shred. Use in cassoulet recipe above.
