- 1 ½ cup haricots blancs (substitute any dried white bean)
- 1 package D'Artagnan duck fat
- ¼ pound pancetta
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled but left whole
- 5 whole cloves
- 2 medium carrots, cut into chunky dice
- 1 bouquet garni made by tying up 1 rosemary spring, 4 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns in a cheesecloth bundle
- 7-10 cups organic chicken stock
- 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 4 D?Artagnan duck legs confit
- 3 links D'Artagnan duck and armagnac sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds on a slight bias
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 package D'Artagnan duck and veal demi-glace
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pick over the beans to remove any debris then put into a colander or sieve to rinse under cold running water. Soak overnight in at least 2 quarts cold water. Drain and transfer to a large pot.
Melt one teaspoon duck fat over medium in a non-stick skillet. Saute pancetta until its fat renders and the bacon crisps. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute, not allowing the garlic to brown. Transfer to large pot.
Deglaze skillet with white wine. Bring wine to the boil for 1 minute. Transfer to large pot.
Stud the onion with the cloves. Add onion, carrots, and bouquet garni to large pot.
Add enough chicken stock to pot to cover ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer. Cook 1 to 1-½ hours or until beans are tender but still intact. Skim any scum that forms. Add tomatoes (with their juices) and a pinch or two of salt and freshly ground black pepper about 30 minutes before cooking ends.
Put a colander or large sieve over a large bowl. Drain bean mixture, reserving cooking liquid. Remove and discard bouquet garni and onion. Taste beans and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Put 2/3 bean mixture into a large casserole dish.
Remove skin from duck legs, reserving. Remove meat from bones, discarding bones. Shred leg meat. Add to casserole dish.
Melt 1 teaspoon duck fat over medium-high heat. Saute sausage rounds until lightly browned. Add to casserole dish. Mix well.
Sweat shallot in fat left in skillet after cooking the sausage until translucent and tender. Mix with remaining beans. Add resulting mixture to the casserole dish. Pour duck demi-glace over casserole. Pour in enough of reserved cooking liquid so that the bean mixture is just covered. If you want a leaner and tastier version, make ahead to this point, then cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Most of the fat will collect on the top and harden for easy removal the next day.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix bread crumbs and Italian herbs. Melt 1 tablespoon duck fat and drizzle over bread crumbs. Mix well. Use the mixture to top the casserole.
Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bread crumbs are a deep golden brown but not burnt.
Make duck cracklings by cutting reserved skin into small pieces and rendering them in in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crispy.
Serve in deep bowls. Top with cracklings and finely chopped fresh Italian parsley just before serving. Offer a Syrah-based red wine. I chose Torbreck The Steading (Barossa Valley) 1999, whose sweet and jammy fruits complemented the rich flavors of the cassoulet, while retaining enough bright acidity to slice through the unctuous cassoulet.
