Bonjour tout le monde! I had a brilliant week visiting my parents in the smallest corner of France, picked up some great recipes and managed to catch a little sun (at about 38 everyday - hot hot hot!). I'll start with a brilliant recipe for one of my favourite dishes Cassoulet - confit, toulouse sausage and beans - comfort food at it's best.
We found the cheapest way to do this was to make your own confit duck legs but if all that work is a little too much for you you can buy it ready preserved.
Confit de Canard
handful coarse sea salt
4 bay leaves , roughly torn
4 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
small handful thyme sprigs, roughly torn
4 duck legs
small glass of white wine
Method
At least a day before you want to make the dish, scatter half the salt, half the garlic and half of the herbs on the bottom of a small shallow dish. Lay the duck legs, skin-side up, on top, then scatter over the remaining salt, garlic and herbs. Cover the duck and refrigerate overnight. This can be done up to 2 days ahead.
Next pour the wine into a saucepan that will snugly fit the duck legs in a single layer. Brush the salt off the duck legs and place them, skin-side down, in the wine. Cover the pan with a lid and place over a medium heat. As soon as the wine starts to bubble, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook slowly for 2 hours, checking occasionally that the liquid is just barely simmering. After 2 hours, the duck legs should be submerged in their own fat and the meat should feel incredibly tender when prodded. Leave to cool.
The duck legs are now cooked and can be eaten immediately - or you can follow the next step if you like them crisp. If you are preparing ahead, pack the duck legs tightly into a plastic container or jar and pour over the fat, but not the liquid at the bottom of the pan. Cover and leave in the fridge for up to a month, or freeze for up to 3 months. The liquid you are left with makes a tasty gravy, which can be chilled or frozen until needed.
To reheat and crisp up the duck legs, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the legs from the fat and place them, skin-side down, in an ovenproof frying pan. Roast for 30-40 mins, turning halfway through, until brown and crisp. Serve with the reheated gravy, a crisp salad and some crisp golden potatoes.
Cassoulet
500g/1lb 2oz belly pork
65g/2½oz duck or goose fat
1 head garlic, broken into cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1kg/2¼lbs dried haricots (white) beans, soaked overnight
large bouquet garni made from leek, celery, thyme sprigs, bay leaves and parsley stalks
6 good quality Toulouse sausages
4 legs duck confit
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cut the piece of belly pork lengthways into three thick slices, then cut each piece across into two.
Heat 50g/1¾oz of the duck fat in a six-litre flameproof casserole dish and add the garlic and onion and fry gently until soft but not browned.
Add the beans and the pieces of salted belly pork, cover with 1¾ litres/3 pints water and push in the bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface, then cover, transfer to the oven and bake for one hour or until the beans are just tender (this will depend on the age of your beans).
Heat the remaining duck fat in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over. Lift them onto a board and slice each one sharply on the diagonal into three pieces. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Add the sausages and the pieces of duck confit to the casserole and push them down well into the beans.
Return the casserole to the oven and bake uncovered for a further 45 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the cassoulet is covered in a dark golden crust.
Serve straight from the pot at the table.
