12420 André Daguin's Fava Bean Cassoulet Serves 8 Wed Aug 06 01:06:48 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 03:15:17 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12420 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:15:17 GMT According to robert courtine, the French food authority, before white beans were cultivated in France, fava beans were used to make this dish. The old name for the dish was fevolade. In effect, then, Daguin's version is the “original” cassoulet.

This cassoulet is excellent reheated later in the day, or even the next day.

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  • To soften the confit fat remove from the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours in advance and let stand in a warm place or in a deep pan of warm water.
  • Shuck the beans; you should have about 2 quarts. Slip off and discard the heavy skin covering 1 cup of the favas; set the skinned beans apart. Cut off the tiny shoots on remaining beans, if old. (Because not all the favas are skinned, the cassoulet will turn dark in color; this is as it should be.)
  • Scrape the fat off the duck confit legs into 5- or 6-quart flameproof casserole. Add the onions and sauté over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the diced ventrèche and a light sprinkling of pepper and sauté over moderate heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes longer.
  • Stir in the 1 cup peeled fava beans and the sugar. (The peeled beans will break down, and their natural starchiness will act as a liaison for the cooking juices.) Cover the pan tightly and cook the beans slowly for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, simmer the fresh pork skin in water to cover until supple, 10 to 20 minutes. (There's no need to simmer confit of pork rind.) Drain the skin, roll it up, and tie it with a string.
  • Add the stock, the remaining favas, rolled pork skin, leek, all of the celery, and the garlic to the beans. Bring to a boil and skim carefully. Reduce the heat, cover with a sheet of crumpled wet parchment and simmer over low heat for 1½ hours.
  • Place the pieces of duck confit in a colander set snugly over a kettle of boiling water; or use a steamer or couscous cooker. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the duck, let cool slightly, then remove the skin and bones. Set the meat aside, covered with foil to keep moist.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F. Remove the rolled pork skin from the bean ragout and cut into slices 2 inches wide. Unroll the slices and use them to line a 3- or 3½-quart ceramic baking dish fat side down. (The skin side sticks.) Place the pieces of duck confit on top.
  • Pick out and discard the leek and bundle of celery from the beans. With a slotted spoon, transfer the favas to the baking dish, leaving the cooking juices in the casserole. Skim the fat off the juices and taste for seasoning; there will probably be no need for salt. Pour enough of the juices over the duck and favas to cover. Reserve the remaining juices. Loosely cover the baking dish with foil and set in the preheated oven.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Spoon off all the fat that rises to the top. Add enough of the reserved cooking juices to keep the favas moist. Bake for 40 minutes longer. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, until a crust forms on top, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
  • The confit is salty and will salt the dish sufficiently.
  • If you cannot obtain ventrèche or pancetta, substitute lean fresh pork side or belly; blanch it in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Rinse, drain, dry, and cut into small dice.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 4 confit of Pekin or Muscovy duck legs (such as Duck Legs Confit Cooked in a Pouch, pages 198–200) or 2 confit of Moulard duck legs, drumsticks and thighs separated

    ]]>     8 to 9 pounds fresh fava beans, in their pods (usually available starting in March)

    ]]>     2 pounds small white onions, peeled

    ]]>     1½ pounds ventrèche or pancetta, cut into ½-inch dice

    ]]>     Freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     1 tablespoon sugar

    ]]>     6 ounces fresh pork skin with ¼-inch layer of hard fat attached, or substitute Confit of Pork Rinds (page 17)

    ]]>     4 cups unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade—page 405)

    ]]>     1 leek, trimmed, well washed, and left whole

    ]]>     8 small celery ribs: 2 chopped, 6 tied in a bundle

    ]]>     5 firm garlic cloves, peeled

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