Chef John’s Cassoulet Amista
- 2 lbs white beans
- 5 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, cubed
- 3 carrots, cut in 1/4' rounds
- 12 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 ozs Prosciutto, in one piece and then cubed
- 8 ozs pancetta, in one piece and then cubed
- 1 tomato, peeled and chopped
- 20 cups chicken stock
- 1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, 3 small ribs celery, tied together)
- 6 duck confit legs (available in most gourmet markets)
- 1 lb garlic sausage
- 2 tbsps breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsps parsley, finely chopped
- 4 tbsps lemon zest
- 3 tbsps walnut oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Start this dish two days in advance. First, rinse the beans under cool running water. Cover with water and soak overnight.
On the second day, sauté onions, garlic and carrots with olive oil until soft; add salt and pepper. Add prosciutto and pancetta, cook an additional minute; add tomato, 2 quarts stock and herb bouquet.
Drain beans and add to mixture; bring to a simmer and cook for 1 ½ hours until the beans are tender. Remove from the heat, let cool and refrigerate overnight.
On the third day, remove any fat from the top of the beans, add additional 3 quarts of stock and reheat on low heat. Add duck confit legs and garlic sausage and simmer for about 1 hour. Add salt and pepper if needed.
When hot, pull duck legs out, remove meat from bone and chop. Remove sausage, chop into ½ inch pieces. Return duck and sausage to pot. Remove herb bouquet and discard.
Mix bread crumbs with lemon zest and chopped parsley in a small bowl (for garnish).
Ladle soup into a bowl, garnish with bread crumb mixture and walnut oil. Enjoy with a glass of Amista Syrah!
