Cassoulet

Directions

For Beans:

1. Place the Great Northern beans in a bowl, add water to cover, and let soak in the refrigerator for at least eight hours or up to overnight.
2. Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large Dutch oven with the water.
3. Add the clove, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary to the pot and simmer the mixture over medium heat for 60 minutes until the beans are tender.
4. Separate the beans and the broth into separate large bowls; set each aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Meanwhile, brown the bacon—without letting it get crispy—in a large saucepan for about 5 minutes.
7. Add the salt, carrots, celery, and onion to the bacon and cook for another 10 minutes.
8. Mix the diced tomatoes with the bacon and vegetables and season the pan with salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes over medium heat before adding it to the beans; stir to combine.
9. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and heat over a medium flame. Brown the sausage links and duck confit for about 5 minutes on each side.
10. Pour half of the bean mixture into the Dutch oven and layer the sausage and duck overtop. Add the rest of the beans and pour the bean broth into over the cassoulet.
11. Cover the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake the cassoulet for about 30 minutes.

For Topping (prepare while beans are baking):

12. Place the butter and olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat.
13. Add the garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, and black pepper to the hot oil and sauté.
14. Check that there is liquid at the bottom of the Dutch oven, adding water if necessary. Spread half of the crumb topping over the cassoulet and cook sans lid for 20 minutes. Check the liquid level again and add the remaining crumbs mixture as a topping.
15. Increase the oven's temperature to 375°F and bake the uncovered cassoulet for 20–25 minutes.
16. Serve hot.