Southwestern Cassoulet with Duck and Lamb
Fava beans and chickpeas were brought to France in the thirteenth century with the opening of trade routes by the Crusaders. Before white beans came from the New World, the French used fava beans for cassoulet and called it févolade. Cassoulet could well be a variation of the overnight Sabbath stews such as dafina or hamim, which means “warm.” Cassoulet could also have come from the Arabs, who made a similar dish, skeena. All I know is that, in a land where there is lots of pork, in a land where the Jews played a role in developing the art of fattening goose livers, cassoulet looks suspiciously like the ubiquitous Sabbath stews, and often has no pork in it at all. This cassoulet calls for lamb shoulder and a great deal of duck or goose fat instead in which to cook the duck legs and sausage and lamb (it is not all consumed). You can use vegetable oil, but it will not taste the same. E-mail Aaronsfood@aol.com for a place to obtain rendered kosher duck fat, or roast a duck and make your own.
Recipe information
Yield
10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
The day before serving, put the duck legs in a bowl, sprinkle the salt over them, and refrigerate. Pour the beans into a large bowl, cover with cold water, and let soak overnight.
Step 2
The next day, rinse the legs in cold water, drain, and dry them.
Step 3
Drain the beans, put them in a pot with water to cover by 4 inches, and bring to a boil. Spoon off any scum that accumulates and discard. Add the bay leaves, one of the carrots, a celery stalk, and a leek. Stud one of the onions with the cloves, and add to the pot. Cover with water by 4 inches, and cook, uncovered, for about an hour, adding about a teaspoon of salt after 45 minutes. Taste after an hour, and if not tender, cook a little more. Drain the beans, and reserve the broth.
Step 4
Dice the remaining carrots, celery, leek, and onion, and the garlic. Heat a thin film of duck fat in a heavy Dutch oven, and add the lamb shoulder, to brown gently. Then add the diced vegetables, and sauté them for a few minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and about 2 cups water, or enough to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer slowly, uncovered, for 1 hour, adding more water if needed. Taste after an hour and adjust seasonings.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Heat the remaining duck fat in a large, wide pot. Add the duck legs and the sausage, and cook in the oven for an hour or so, removing the sausage with tongs after 45 minutes. When the legs are cooked, they will float. Remove them from the fat, reserving all but 1 cup of fat for another use.
Step 6
Pour the 1 cup of fat into the bottom of a large, wide casserole. Scatter the lamb on the bottom. Drain the beans, saving the water, and add them to the pot. Submerge the duck sausage in the beans, and put the duck legs on top of the casserole, gently pressing them into the beans. Add enough bean broth to cover the beans. Sprinkle the duck legs with the bread crumbs, and return the casserole to the oven for an hour. The cassoulet will be even better if you let it cool and store it overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it the next day, adding more bean broth. Serve from the casserole.
