Cassoulet
Serves 8-10

From L'Academie de Cuisine class taken 2002-03-13 with Francois Dionot
Annotations and commentary on the class recipe

Introduction:

Make the Duck Confit a couple days ahead, it will take time.
The Duck Confit marks this rendition as being from Gascony.


2	pound	Beans, dry, white, northern or flageolets (4 Cups)
8	Cup	Stock
1	pound	Bacon, slab
1		Carrot, cut into thirds
1		Onion, halved, stuck with the Clove
1		Clove
1		Bouquet	Garni
2	Tbs	Salt
4	piece	Duck Confit (legs), prepared earlier
1		Sausage, garlic or lamb (pork loin is good too)
4		Onions, finely chopped
5	clove	Garlic, chopped
3		Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped bean-size (or 2 Cups canned)
1	Cup	Breadcrumbs
1/2	Cup	Duck Fat from the Confit

Soak Beans in 3x amount of cold water for 12 hours. 
If after 6 hours water is cloudy, change it. Drain.

Rince the Beans and place in large heavy-bottomed pan.
Cover with cold water and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain.

Return Beans to the pot and add 8 Cups Stock.
Add Salt, Bacon, Carrot, Clove-studded Onion, and Bouquet Garni.
Bring to boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until beans are almost tender.
Do not stir while cooking.

Meanwhile...
In saute pan, brown the Sausage and Duck (skin side down).
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the same pan, sweat the finely chopped Onions in butter until soft
and translucent.
Add the chopped garlic, tomatoes, and 1/2 C of the cooking liquid from beans.
Cook covered for 5 minutes; if drying out, add some stock.

When the beans are almost tender, remove Carrot, Onion, Bacon, Bouquet Garni;
Beans are still quite wet, lots of liquid remains; this is necessary.
Add the Onion/Tomato mixture, Sausage, Duck meat pulled from the bones;
(Dionot did NOT add the Sausage and Duck at this time, but later.)
Cook clowly, covered, for 30 minutes.

Remove Sausage and cut into slices.
Cut duck into small pieces.
(at this time, Dionot pulled the meat off the bones)
Check the seasoning of the Beans; some cooking liquid should remain.

Assemble:

In a large oven-proof casserole, spread 1 Cup of beans and 1 Cup of
cooking liquid. 
Cover with some Sausage.
Add another layer of Beans, then another layer of Sausage or Duck.
Repeat to use all incredients, ending with a layer of Beans.
Sprinkle with Breadcrumbs and pour 1/2 Cup Duck Fat over the crumbs.

Bake covered at 325F for 2 hours.

Uncover 20 minutes before done to brown the Breadcrumbs.

2012-02-26 Dry Beans

We didn't have hydrated or soaked beans so use a pressure cooker to expedite
the cooking -- we wanted cassoulet tonight, dammit!  We used 2 pounds dry Great
Northern Beans (about 5 Cups), 15 Cups water, 6 Tbs Oil (to prevent foaming),
and included Bacon Rind, Carrot, Onion. Pressure cooked at 15 psi for 20
minutes, and the beans came out done -- done enough to eat, but a little too
done for further cooking. Since our beans were wet and finished, we cut back
from 8 Cup Stock to 5 Cups. We baked uncovered so we didn't cook any more than
necessary. FWIW, we used duck confit made directly by sous vide method.

Next time cut back to 12 Cups water and 15 minutes pressure cooking.

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