Meats

Cassoulet, Italian-Style

Serves: 6-8Time: 1 hour prep, 1 hour cooking
A rustic Italian antipasto spread of cured meats and marinated vegetables

A hearty Italian version of the famous French cassoulet, featuring homemade sweet pork sausage, duck leg confit and cannellini beans simmered with lots of onions in homemade beef stock, finished with breadcrumbs to thicken this rib-sticking dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. dried cannellini beans
  • 6 medium sized garlic cloves
  • 2 leaves fresh sage
  • 4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbs. for cooking beans
  • 8 links sweet pork sausage, cut into small, 1 inch pieces
  • 2 duck legs confit
  • 2 large Spanish onions, chopped
  • 10 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cups rich beef or veal stock
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ½-2 cups fine unflavored breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbs. chopped Italian parsley

Directions

For beans: soak using the quick-soak method — rinse under cold water, cover with cold water in a pot, bring to a boil, cook 2 minutes, then turn off heat, cover and let sit for an hour.

Drain beans and return to the pot with fresh cold water, 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1 tbs. reserved olive oil and the sage leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook about 30 minutes (they'll finish cooking in the casserole). Season with salt and pepper, then drain, reserving the beans and garlic.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Heat a large oven-proof casserole over medium-high heat for about a minute. Pour in 4 tbs. olive oil and heat another minute. Add sausage and stir until lightly browned; remove and reserve. Add duck legs and brown on both sides, then remove and set aside for shredding.

3. Add onion to the pot and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chopped tomatoes and garlic, cooking and stirring another 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down (shred the duck legs during this time). Turn heat to medium, return the sausage and shredded duck, then add red wine, stock and bay leaves; season to taste. Warm through a minute, stir in the reserved beans, and sprinkle breadcrumbs to completely cover the top.

4. Place in the oven and cook about 30 more minutes, until the crumbs are nicely browned on top.

To serve: break through the crumb crust and spoon portions, with crumb mixed in, onto each plate. Sprinkle parsley on top. Yields 6-8 servings.

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