Recipes

Print This Page

Streamlined Cassoulet


Cassoulet is glorified pork and beans, but the glory is in the nuanced taste and richness.
Yield: 4 to 6
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups chopped tomatoes, with their juice (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 cups white beans, nearly fully cooked (drained if canned)
1 cup stock, dry red wine, bean cooking liquid or water
Salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 pound Italian sausage, preferably in one piece
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 boned duck breast
Directions
Combine tomatoes and garlic in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and add beans. Bring to a boil again, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat so mixture bubbles regularly but not furiously. Cook about 20 minutes, adding stock or other liquid when mixture thickens. Add salt and cayenne when beans are tender and flavorful.

While beans are cooking, put sausage in a skillet, and turn heat to mediumhigh; brown on both sides, turning only once or twice. Add to pot with bean mixture, along with pork cubes. Raise heat a bit if necessary to keep a simmer going. Stir beans occasionally so pork cooks evenly.

Cut a ›-inch crosshatch in skin side of duck breast, right down to fat layer. Put breast, skin side down, in skillet that sausage cooked in, and turn heat to medium-high. Cook until nicely browned, pouring any rendered duck fat and juices into bean mixture. Turn duck, and brown meat side. Then crisp up skin side again for a minute or so, once more pouring any fat into beans. Total cooking time for breast will be 6 to 8 minutes. When it is done, add breast to beans.

To serve, carve sausage and duck breast into serving pieces, and place on plates. Top with beans and pork.

© The New York Times Company and © Global Wine Company, Inc. NYT Wine has chosen Global Wine Company and its panel of experts to select the wines and operate the club on our behalf. The Wine Club is operated without the participation of the Times wine critics or other members of the newsroom. All wine sales are made by a licensed retailer in compliance with state laws and the licensed retailer assures all involved that it fully complies with all states laws applicable to it. All credit card payments will be facilitated by Global Wine Company, Inc., located at 1401 Los Gamos Dr. #220, San Rafael, CA 94903, with the exception of orders shipped to Texas, which will be sold by Texas licensed Winery ITO Wines, LLC, located at 16760 Hedgecroft Drive Suite 608, Houston, TX 77060 Phone:(707) 234-4747. Due to state laws, wine can be purchased only by adults 21 years and older. See shipping policy for states served.