Duck & apple cassoulet | Duck recipes | Jamie magazine recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do the French serve with cassoulet? ›

You can serve cassoulet on its own with a salad and bread on the side, but it's traditional to accompany it with something colorful . . . usually greens of some sort. If you're looking for a great meal to prepare for the colder weather, try making a cassoulet.

In cassoulets, the haricot bean is now always the principal ingredient. In the medieval period, broad beans (favolles), fresh or dried, were used in stews of the cassoulet type.

All the ingredients for a good cassoulet can be found in most grocery stores. Purists will argue that you need to find real tarbais beans but I have found white kidney beans work just as well.

A changing classic: cassoulet in modern France

Today, the dish remains a major draw for the otherwise sleepy town of Castelnaudary.

Part of what makes cassoulet so special is the golden brown crust that forms on top of the stew near the end of the process. But when asked what forms this crust, most home cooks would probably give the wrong answer.

Pekin Duck (or Long Island Duck)

Pekin duck is the most popular duck to eat. Pekin duck meat is known for its mild, satisfying flavor that easily adapts to a number of cuisines. It has lighter flesh and milder flavor than either Moulard or Muscovy duck, and is considered perfect for whole roasting.

Duck is particularly predominant in the Chinese cuisine—a popular dish is Peking duck. Duck meat is commonly eaten with scallions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce wrapped in a small spring pancake made of flour and water or a soft, risen bun known as gua bao.

Duck à l'Orange is probably one of the most classic, yet sadly most bastardized dishes of all of French cuisine. Done right, it's incredible; crunchy skin with incredibly juicy meat offset by a semi-sweet orange sauce. Done wrong, you'll end up eating fatty rubbery skin, tough meat drowned in an overly sweet sauce.

There are three types of cassoulet – the Holy Trinity. There's the 'Father' (pork and goose), the 'Son' (mutton and partridge), and the 'Holy Ghost' (sausage, mutton, and duck).

Usually Toulouse sausage is most commonly used in traditional french cassoulet, a sausage made from a blend of pork and duck meat. Chicken breast – I used boneless and skinless chicken breast but thighs can be substituted if that's all you have. Salt & pepper – To taste.

What are the 3 regional styles of cassoulet? ›

Convention has it that the cassoulet of Castelnaudary is based largely on pork and pork rind, sausage, and (sometimes) goose; the Carcassonne variety contains leg of mutton and (occasionally) partridge; and the cassoulet of Toulouse includes fresh lard, mutton, local Toulouse sausage, and duck or goose.

Ducks are generally roasted uncovered and usually do not need to be basted with fats. Cook for 20–30 minutes to brown, then reduce heat to 190°C for the remainder of the cooking period. Allow 30–45 minutes per kilogram, according to age and size.

While the USDA recommends cooking duck to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165° F (74° C) to avoid the potential risk of salmonella poisoning, restaurants often serve duck medium-rare. Since duck has dark meat and tight muscle fibers, these muscles are often cooked much like beef for tender results.

Pan-searing: Duck breasts can be pan-seared for a crispy exterior and juicy interior. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and place the duck breasts skin-side down. Cook for 6-7 minutes per side, using a thermometer like Chefstemp to ensure that the internal temperature reaches 63°C (145°F) for medium-rare.

Place duck on a rack in a roasting tray. The tray will collect any reduced fat which can be saved and used for roasting vegetables. Roast for 40 mins per kg, until the skin is crispy and golden. Rest for 20 mins before portioning.