Confit de Canard avec Cassoulet Blonde

Chef Melissa Makarenko,
Resto Gare

Duck Sausage available at De Luca’s Specialty Foods.

Ingredients
Confit de Canard
2 cups salt
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp juniper berries
6-8 duck legs
2 L duck fat (or high quality canola oil)
12 pieces duck sausage

Cassoulet Blonde
3 L white flagolet bean, canned or cooked from dry
1 L white wine
3 L chicken stock, homemade is preferred.
1 cup onion, medium diced
1 cup carrot, medium diced
1 cup celery, medium diced
2 Tbsp garlic, crushed
15 sprigs of thyme
2 cups bacon, chopped into small cubes

Method
Confit de Canard   

1. Coat duck legs in salt, sugar and juniper. Let stand for 24 hours.
2. Rinse, then dry. Pour in duck fat to cover completely, in a large braising pan.
3. Cover the pan with tin foil, and cook at 400°F until tender, or approximately 2-3 hours.
4. Thoroughly drain the fat, and season with salt and pepper.
5. Roast with duck sausage until golden brown, at 375°F, until golden brown.
6. Garnish with thyme.

Cassoulet Blonde

1. Sauté bacon, onions, carrots and celery together at medium heat for approximately 6 mins.
2. Add garlic and thyme.
3. Add wine and beans, and allow the entire liquid mixture to reduce to half.
4. Add chicken stock. Continue to cook at medium heat for 45 mins, or until beans begin to take on the flavour of the stock.
5. Season as desired, with salt and pepper.

Assembly

1. Serve duck with bean cassoulet.
2. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Yields 6 servings.