Duck Confit & Cassoulet

I can not tell y'all how excited I am to finally have found a way to eat the ducks that my husband and bird dog proudly provide! For years I have tried eating the seared breasts when he cooks them (with my favorite so far being stuffed with jalapenos and creamed cheese & wrapped in bacon but even then a lot of times I'd pick at it & leave most of the duck). I did once roast them whole with a maple glaze and berry sauce of sorts which was delicious, but apparently cleaning them for this preparation & plucking all of the feathers to keep the skin on is a giant pain so hubs really prefers to not cook them this way. I typically like duck in restaurants, especially duck confit, so I was determined to attempt this at home with his wild ducks. 

The key is the duck fat. We do not cook enough ducks to render this much fat ourselves, nor do wild ducks have the same fat content as domestic farmed ducks because they have to work harder for their food, escaping predators, etc. I ordered this duck fat off Amazon and it was exactly what it was supposed to be. It isn't the cheapest, but can be used reused. After the duck confit is cooked, let the fat cool some, then strain out the solid particles with a fine strainer. Let it cool completely so that any juices from the duck separate from the fat before adding back to the tub. Also, the duck confit will easily keep for a month stored covered in fat in the refrigerator, so save a little of it for that before putting it away. I only used half with this recipe. 

Begin by preparing the duck the day before. Pat it dry and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs de provence. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 24 hours for the meat to cure (draw out the water which is where micro-organisms live therefore preserving the meat so that it lasts longer). Before cooking the duck, dry the meat and place in a single layer of a baking dish. The tighter the meat fits in the dish, the less duck fat will be needed to cover it. Heat the duck fat in a saucepan into its liquid form so that it pours easily into the baking dish to fully cover the meat. Put the dish into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 225 for another 2 hours. 

While the duck is cooking, prepare the cassoulet. This is not exactly the traditional recipe, but I wanted a quicker version. This one turned out very good. 

Start by browning the sausage. Cut up the carrots, celery, and onion (mirepoix - the traditional vegetable blend used in French cooking). Set the cooked sausage aside and sweat the mirepoix in its grease over medium heat for 10 mins. Add the garlic and saute another 3-5 mins until browned. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. 

Rinse the beans under water in a colander then add them to the saute pan. Return the sausage to the pan as well and add the chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring to a low boil for 15-20 mins until the liquid begins to thicken. Remove the bay leaves and pour it into a casserole dish. Bake the cassoulet uncovered with the confit for the last hour.

When done, take the duck out of the oven and let them rest in the fat bath for 5 mins, then remove and let them rest on a plate for another 5 minutes. Serve the duck confit over the cassoulet. 

Any pieces not eaten is best to pull the meat from the bones & shred the breasts with forks then store the confit in the fat to help preserve it (it can last up to a month in the fridge). To reheat, spread on a baking sheet and warm in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes to be used in tacos, salads, sandwiches, etc. 

Duck Confit & Cassoulet 

4 servings, plus 2 servings of duck leftovers 

5 mins prep 1 day before, 15 mins prep day of, 2.5 hours cooking time

• 6 wild ducks 
• 1 lb. duck fat
• 1/2 lb. sausage
• 2 stalk celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic 
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt & pepper to taste