Let me begin by apologizing for not having a nicely propped photo, but it is what it is. And what it is is an amazingly delicious cassoulet. Yes, I realize this is mainly a blog about Italy but France is our dear neighbor. And technically this dish isn't called a cassoulet, it's Duck Breast with White Bean and Sausage -- to which I added some diced homemade pancetta to kick it up a notch. Although I have never eaten an authentic cassoulet, I would put this recipe up against a cassoulet any day of the week. Any wagers?
Duck Breasts with White Beans and Sausage
Recipe from Clyde Common
Serves 4
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless duck breasts (1 to 1-1/2 pounds total)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 sausages, about 1/2 pound
2 small shallots, chopped, about 1/2 cup (you can substitute yellow onion)
1 medium carrot, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Toast bread crumbs. Heat a large nonstick
skillet over medium-low flame. Add olive oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add bread crumbs and toss to coat with oil. Toast until golden brown, stirring
frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate and
allow to cool completely.
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Pat duck breasts dry
with paper towels and trim off any excess fat. Score skin in a
crosshatch pattern at 1/2-inch intervals with a sharp knife, being
careful not to slice through the flesh. Season with salt and black
pepper on both sides. Heat a 12-inch ovenproof lidded sauté pan over
medium-low heat. Place duck breasts, skin side down, in the hot, dry
skillet. Cook the breasts until the skin is crispy and most of the fat
has rendered, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn duck breasts and cook the
non-skin side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
Pour off all but one tablespoon of the duck
fat in the skillet and reserve for another use. (Roast chicken and roast potatoes are both good uses of leftover duck fat!) Sauté shallots and
carrot in duck fat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent
burning. This is where I added a small amount of diced pancetta to the pan. Add sausages to the pan and continue cooking another 5 minutes,
turning sausages once. Add garlic and thyme to pan and cook until
fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add wine and broth to pan, stirring to
scrape up any browned bits. Add bay leaves and cannellini beans and
bring to a boil.
Return duck breasts to skillet, along with
any accumulated juices. Cover pan and transfer to oven. Cook for 8 to 10
minutes (or longer, if needed), until an instant-read thermometer
inserted diagonally into center registers 125°F for medium rare (unlike
chicken, this is perfectly safe—and delicious). I left the dish in the oven to cook for 20 minutes because our oven isn't very accurate. Remove from the oven.
Transfer breasts and sausages to cutting board, tent with foil and allow
to rest for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place uncovered pan over medium
flame to slightly reduce liquid and concentrate flavors. Taste and
adjust seasonings (use a light hand—the duck and the sausage will
provide some saltiness). Sprinkle each
plate with a generous amount of bread crumbs (you will have some left over, and
that’s fine). Don't skip the bread crumbs, it really adds to the dish! Enjoy.
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