I've decided to finally approach my fears
head-on and make cassoulet. I've searched high and low for a good recipe and found a couple of great blueprints. I
linked to this extremely detailed post on
cassoulet when I spoke of it before, and I'm printing it out to use as a guide through my adventure.
Before you can make cassoulet, you have to decide how you're going to handle the meats. Most cassoulets are centered around duck, and use several parts of the bird. A classic rendition has the chef roasting the duck, rendering the fat, and making a 'confit' of the leg and a demiglace (French for stock) of the carcass. What's more, after all that, you have to select which other meats to include.
I made a critical decision when faced with my favorite butcher's meat counter and decided to buy duck confit already made. Brilliant no? It's pictured here. I also decided to go without the authentic duck stock and just buy storebought chicken broth. Hey, I don't have 48 hours to make this thing. I need cassoulet to be easy, or it's not happening.
Want to cook this live with me tonight? You'll have to head to the market. Here's what you'll need:
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