Freezes well.
My excitement is always as intense when I see this steaming dish bursting with duck confit, pork, and creamy white beans with just enough juice to moisten the sausage. Cassoulet is the kind of dish that is enjoyed in Quebec, probably because it is a dish perfectly adapted to our winters. It was in Carcassonne in the Languedoc-Rousillon region, that I tasted this dish for the first time. There always has been a three-sided rivalry about the origin of the dish: Carcassonne, Toulouse and Castelnaudary. Some people add lamb and tomatoes, other goose confit. The tradition want that the cassoulet be baked uncovered from three to seven times before being presented to the table. Here's my version of a cassoulet, a simplified version, based on that of Carcassonne, Toulouse, and my friend Jean-Pierre.
Confit duck legs To save time, you can buy confit duck legs. They are often found at the butcher or vacuum-sealed in supermarkets. If you want to experiment with confit duck, you must first get duck fat from the butcher or duck farmer. Rub the duck legs with a mixture of 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of coarse salt, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) of fresh thyme leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Wipe the duck legs with a damp paper towel. In a large heavy saucepan, melt 1 kg (2 lbs) of duck fat. Place the duck legs in the boiling fat, reduce the heat and simmer gently until a fork pierce easily through the flesh, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Place the confit legs in large glass jars, cover with the melted fat. Close the jar, let cool on the counter and refrigerate. The fat can be reused several times if kept in the freezer between uses.
