Apologies first to Jacky at the Butchers Hook, a friend and a great chef I should have finished this blog much sooner. I posted pictures of this on face book and got a great response from all the chefs that saw it. Its easily my favourite french dish and Jackys cassoulet is well worth a trip to the Butchers Hook for.
Kindly He taught me how to make it.
As with all cooking provenance is everything and Jacky is quite specific on ingredients. There is also a lot of prior mis en place to do before cooking the cassoulet. Traditionally Tarbais beans would soaked over night to re hydrate. We roasted a whole pork belly. Confit duck legs and made a duck and veal stock.
Wash off the beans and place in a deep oven proof container. Because of the quantity Jacky needs to make at any one time he uses a gastronorm container but its the depth and being able to cover thats important.
The beans are then covered with the duck and veal stock and brought to a simmer. Whole peeled carrots, bouquet garni, garlic cloves tomato puree are dropped in and then brought up a boil to scum off.
Sliced leeks a dash of madeira and the fat and skin from a Serano ham that was spare went in as well. Seasoning with quatre epice and milled pepper and the whole tray was simmered in the oven for several hours.
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| Jackys Kitchen |
Meanwhile we begin portioning up the pork belly duck leg and Tolouse sausage. The sausages were coarse ground and not too fatty, and you can see from the pork belly and duck legs that its a good portion. The duck legs are confit and trimmed with the thigh bone removed. Poached sausages are sliced and dropped into the cooked cassoulet
So finally the cassoulet is portioned up with the Tolouse sausage, pork belly, duck legs and a bit of cep cream. Jacky adds a herb crust for a bit of texture and a side salad because a man cannot live on beans alone. Thanks Buddy for a great afternoon.
