Ingredients
- •1.5 lbs dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), soaked overnight
- •4 cups chicken stock
- •2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- •4 duck confit legs (or substitute chicken thighs)
- •12 oz garlic sausage or andouille, sliced into rounds
- •6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- •1 large yellow onion, diced
- •3 carrots, diced
- •4 cloves garlic, minced
- •2 tbsp tomato paste
- •1 cup dry white wine
- •3 sprigs fresh thyme
- •2 bay leaves
- •½ tsp black pepper
- •¼ tsp ground cloves
- •2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- •3 tbsp butter, melted
- •3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- •1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- •Crusty French bread for serving
Instructions
Drain soaked white beans and rinse thoroughly
Place beans in large mason jars or vacuum-seal bags suitable for long cooking
Add chicken stock and 1 tsp kosher salt to cover beans completely
Add 2 sprigs thyme and bay leaves directly to the jars
Seal jars or bags ensuring beans have plenty of liquid to stay submerged
Preheat sous vide water bath to 194°F (90°C)
Submerge jars or bags in water bath
Cook for 8 h for creamy, soft beans perfect for cassoulet
About 1 h before beans finish, prepare meat and aromatics
Cook chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy (8 min)
Remove bacon with slotted spoon, leave drippings in pot
Brown duck confit legs skin-side down in bacon fat for 5 min per side
Remove duck and set aside
Brown sliced sausage in the same pot for 3–4 min until caramelized
Remove sausage and set aside
Add diced onion and carrots to the pot
Sauté for 8–10 min until softened and beginning to brown
Add minced garlic and cook for 1 min
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 min
Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits from bottom
Simmer for 5 min to reduce slightly
When beans finish cooking, drain them and reserve 2 cups cooking liquid
Add cooked beans to the Dutch oven with vegetables
Add reserved cooking liquid, remaining 1 tsp salt, black pepper, and ground cloves
Nestle duck confit legs and browned sausage into the beans
Sprinkle reserved crispy bacon over top
Add remaining thyme sprig
Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low
Cover and simmer for 30 min to meld flavors
While cassoulet simmers, make herbed breadcrumbs
Combine breadcrumbs with melted butter, chopped parsley, and thyme leaves
Preheat broiler to high
Remove lid from cassoulet and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves
Sprinkle herbed breadcrumbs evenly over the top
Place under broiler for 3–5 min until golden brown and crispy
Watch carefully to prevent burning
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 min before serving
Serve in shallow bowls with crusty French bread to soak up the rich sauce
Notes
- •Can substitute chicken thighs if duck confit is unavailable
- •The cassoulet improves in flavor if made a day ahead and reheated
- •Traditional cassoulet develops a crust that's broken and stirred back in - don't worry about perfection
- •Leftovers keep for 5 days refrigerated or freeze for up to 3 months