Food for thought
Hamersley’s Style Cassoulet
of Pork, Duck Confit and Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flageolet or great northern beans soaked overnight
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil or duck fat
- 1 pound pork butt cut in 2 inch cubes 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and cut into medium dice
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut into a medium dice
- 1/2 pound smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped marjoram
- 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 1/2 quarts veal stock or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 Italian sausages
- 4 duck confit legs, cut at the joint between the thigh
and drumstick, skin removed - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Directions
- Drain the beans they were soaked in and place the beans in a large saucepot and add enough water to cover by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil and skim any foam that comes to the surface. Lower the heat to medium and cook the beans for 30 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Reserve.
- While the beans are cooking, heat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil or duck fat in a large stew pot or Dutch oven. Season the pork with the pepper and add the pork in one layer and cook over high heat for about 6-8 minutes. Turn the meat and cook for another 3-4 minutes. The meat should be well browned. Do not over crowd the pot or the meat will not brown but rather will boil.
- Add the onion, the garlic, carrot and bacon and cook stirring for 5 minutes. Add the herbs, tomatoes, beans, wine and broth. Cover and bring to a boil on top of the stove and then place the pot into a pre-heated 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
- While the Cassoulet is cooking, place the sausages in a sauté pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meat is cooked through. About 6-8 minutes. Allow to cool and then cut into 2 inch pieces. Refrigerate and reserve.
- Check the Cassoulet after 1 1/2 hours. Stir and add the salt. You should be able to see a somewhat loose stew of stock, beans, vegetables and meat. Add more stock or water if the Cassoulet appears too dry. Continue to cook for an additional 30-45 minutes or until the meat and beans are very tender. The Cassoulet should appear somewhat drier and you should see mostly beans, vegetables and meat. Much of the stock should have been absorbed by the beans. If not, boil on the stovetop over medium heat for a few minutes. Otherwise the breadcrumbs will not get crisp.
- At this point the beans should be very tender and the stock should have thickened slightly. Add the duck legs and sausage to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon so as not to break up the beans and meat. Allow the cassoulet to cool for 1/2 hour. This cooling will allow a thin skin to form on the surface of the cassoulet and the breadcrumbs will stay on top of the cassoulet and become nice and crisp in the final stage.
- Sprinkle the top of the cassoulet with a thin layer of breadcrumbs. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook for about 20 –30 minutes UNCOVERED until the breadcrumbs form a golden brown crust.
- To serve, bring the cassoulet to the table and spoon some of the beans and meat, confit and sausage on to each plate.
Notes
* If serving the following day DO NOT add the sausage, duck legs or breadcrumbs. Let the Cassoulet cook until done and then allow to cool. The following day, place the beans and meat into a large pot. Add the sausage, duck legs and breadcrumbs. Place the pot in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until the Cassoulet is well heated through and the bread crumbs are browned on top. The cassoulet might need a little water before it goes in the oven because the beans may have soaked up much of the stock.
* In the restaurant, we place each serving of the beans and meat with a piece of sausage, a piece of duck and a small ladle of stock into a small 8 inch sauté pan. Then we give it a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and place the pan into a hot 450 degree oven to heat through. When it is bubbling and crisp and hot all the way through we slide it carefully out into a large soup bowl to serve it. This works very well, is very controlled and allows you to use the Cassoulet over a number of days without reheating the whole amount every time.
* At the beginning, remember to use a pot large enough to hold all the meat, duck, sausage and beans at the end.
* Cassoulet comes in all varieties and each cook will develop his or her own likes and dislikes. I like my finished cassoulet not too dry but not at all soupy either. I like the crumbs to be crispy but not burned and I don’t like too much bread because the stew can get gummy.
* Cooks! Look out! There are strong feelings on the subject of cassoulet out there. This is a dish with traditions. I remember a man who returned his cassoulet one night in the restaurant because it was too runny. Ok, a matter of taste. And the guy who said it wasn’t a real cassoulet because it wasn’t served in a proper crock. Ok. And we had good fun with the guy who returned his cassoulet one night because nobody told him it had all those damned BEANS in it!
* I like to surprise people and put different kinds of meat into cassoulets I make at home. And depending on where you are from in France you might add fresh bacon, lamb, ham hock or game birds such as pheasant or quail. It’s a great dish to experiment with and in France I have witnessed serious debate as to whose mother made the better cassoulet. And these guys were cousins!
Local Ingredients
At Hamersley’s Bistro we attempt to use local ingredients whenever possible. These are some of our long time friends we showcase in the restaurant.
Steve, Joan and Jennifer Verrill grow most of our vegetables during the summer. Verrill Farms is located in Concord.
Ellery Kimball is a young farmer who works a small number of organic acres in Lincoln called Blue Heron Farm.
Pat and Barb Woodbury own Woodbury’s Clams in Wellfleet. They have been growing clams for us for 20 years.
Stu Cohen forages for wild mushrooms in western Massachusetts.
Pio Angellini grows the best berries in the state.
During the summer season, Massachusetts fishermen are allowed to harvest 750,000 pounds of beautiful striped bass from our shores.
Verrill Farm
Growers of fine quality produce
Regional Specialty Foods Market
Seasonal Heirloom Vegetables
Gourmet Kitchen & Bakery
Family owned and operated since 1918
Barbara Hoefer
11 Wheeler Rd.
Concord, MA 01742
T 978.369.4494
F 978.318.0300
www.verrillfarm.com
Blue Heron Organic Farm
Ellery Kimball, Farmer
Blue Heron Organic Farm
PO Box 67
Lincoln, MA 01773
T 781.254.3727
www.blueheronfarmlincoln.com
