Cassoulet, Italian-Style

Fresh Sage

Here is a hearty Italian version of the famous French cassoulet featuring our homemade sweet pork sausage, duck leg confit, cannellini beans and a little tomato simmered with lots of onions in our homemade beef stock. The melange is finished off with breadcrumbs to further thicken this rib-sticking dish.

Serves: 6-8
Time: 1 hour prep, 1 hour cooking

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried cannellini beans

6 medium sized garlic cloves

2 leaves fresh sage

4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbs. for cooking beans

8 links sweet pork sausage, cut into small, 1 inch pieces

2 duck legs confit (which can be found pre-packaged in our Appetizing section)

2 large Spanish onions, chopped

10 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups rich A&V beef or veal stock

2 dried bay leaves

pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 ½-2 cups fine unflavored breadcrumbs

3 tbs. chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

For beans:
Soak beans using quick-soak method: Rinse under cold water then put in pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes, then turn off heat. Cover pot and let sit for an hour.
Drain beans and put back in pot, covering with fresh cold water. Add 2 smashed cloves of garlic, 1 tbs. reserved olive oil and sage leaves. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and let beans cook about 30 minutes. (Beans will cook rest of way through in casserole). Season to taste with salt and pepper at the end. Drain, reserving beans and whatever is left of the garlic.
To assemble casserole:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat large oven-proof casserole over medium/high heat for about a minute.
Pour in 4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil and let heat up another minute. Add sausage pieces and stir until lightly browned. Remove and reserve. Add 2 duck legs and brown on both sides. (Duck legs are already cooked through; you are just warming them through to shred the meat more easily). Remove and set aside for shredding.
3. Add onion to skillet and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chopped tomatoes and garlic and continue cooking and stirring occasionally another 5 minutes or so until tomatoes break down. (Shred reserved duck legs during this phase). Turn heat down to medium and put sausage and shredded duck meat back in. Add red wine, stock and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let warm through a minute and add reserved white beans.
Stir gently to combine and sprinkle breadcrumbs to completely cover top.
4. Place in oven and cook about 1/2 hour more, until crumbs are nicely browned on top.
To serve:
Break through crumb crust and spoon portions, with crumb mixed in, onto each plate. Sprinkle parsley on top. Yields 6-8 servings