French Pork And White Bean Casserole With Homemade Duck Confit

Submitted by: admin on April 2, 2020

Serves 8 To 10

Ingredients

DUCK CONFIT
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1⁄4 cup salt
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
12 sprigs fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
6 duck legs
4 cups duck fat or canola oil
BEAN STEW
Salt and pepper
1 pound dried cannellini beans (2 cups), picked over and rinsed
2 celery ribs
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
1 pound fresh French garlic sausage
4 ounces salt pork, rinsed
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. FOR THE CONFIT: Process onion, salt, garlic, peppercorns, parsley, and bay leaves in food processor until smooth paste with some small chunks forms, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Massage duck legs with salt mixture and place in gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Press out air, seal bag, and place in refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours.
  2. FOR THE STEW: Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
  3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse duck legs, rubbing off any salt mixture, and pat dry with paper towels. Heat duck fat in large saucepan over medium heat until completely transparent (if using canola oil, it should register about 135 degrees). Add duck legs, making sure they are completely submerged in fat. Transfer pot to oven and cook until fork slips easily in and out of meat, 3 to 4 hours.
  4. Using kitchen twine, tie together celery, bay leaf, and thyme, and set aside. Place sausage and salt pork in medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to cutting board, allow to cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Remove salt pork from water; set aside.
  5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Add sausage pieces and brown on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to medium bowl. Add pork shoulder and brown on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Return sausage to Dutch oven; add white wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Cook until slightly reduced, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, celery bundle, and reserved salt pork.
  6. Stir in broth and beans, pressing beans into even layer, adding up to 1 cup water to ensure beans are at least partially submerged (beans may still break surface of liquid). Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are tender, about 1-1⁄2 hours.
  7. Remove confit and stew from oven and increase temperature to 350 degrees. Using slotted spoon, transfer duck legs to large plate. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Remove meat from bones, leaving meat in large pieces; discard bones. Meanwhile, remove celery bundle and salt pork from bean stew and discard. (Alternatively, dice salt pork and return to stew.) Using large spoon or ladle, skim fat from surface of stew and discard. Season stew with salt and pepper to taste. Add duck meat and stir gently to combine. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, pulse bread and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in food processor until crumbs are no larger than 1⁄8 inch, 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer to medium bowl, add parsley, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Sprinkle 1⁄2 cup bread-crumb mixture evenly over casserole; bake, covered, 15 minutes. Remove lid and bake 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle remaining bread-crumb mixture over top of casserole and bake until topping is golden brown and beans are bubbling around edges of pot, about 30 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

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