Rabbit Confit and Cassoulet

One of the most iconic french dishes, depending on where you call home in the french countryside, the cassoulet dish has varied ingredients.  Similar to the way Americans argue over methods of barbecue or recipes for chili, the people of France swear by their personal recipes for cassoulet.  There is even legend that this bucolic bowl of meat and beans saved the people of France during the Hundred Years War.  According to this legend the English invaded the french countryside and lay siege to a town.  With the defending french soldiers growing weary and the food stores dwindling, the townspeople decided to make a giant hardy stew of meats and beans to raise the energy and morale of their defenders.  The dish was so hardy and worked so well that the defending french soldiers drove out the occupying English!  Originally cooked over the hearth with the residual heat from the fire, today this delectable dish can be recreated in the modern oven in just a couple hours.

Rabbit Confit

Ingredients:

a 2.5 to 3 lb rabbit
2 to 3 cups vegetable oil
1 Tbsp truffle oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped parsely
2 tsp chopped rosemary
2 tsp chopped sage
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp peppercorns


Description:

Start by breaking down your whole rabbit into smaller workable pieces.  You can watch a chef do this here.  I had two front legs, two back legs, and two pieces from the saddle (or middle of the rabbit) and discarded the ribs and backbone.  Once your rabbit is broken down combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or dutch oven making sure the rabbit pieces are completely submerged in the oil.  Add more oil if you need to.  Let this marinade over night in your refrigerator.  After the rabbit has marinated preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Place the dutch oven on the stove over medium heat and slowly bring the oil up to temperature.  Once the oil begins to shimmer and a few bubble begin to form cut the heat and cover.  Place into the oven for two hours.  Check halfway through to turn rabbit pieces and add more oil if necessary.  Once two hours has gone by, remove the dutch oven and place on stovetop uncovered to cool.  The rabbit should cool completely while remaining submerged in the oil.  Once everything is cooled the confit can be stored in a container where it is submerged in the oil and will last in the refrigerator for up to four weeks ... but it won't because it's so delicious!  Now that you have finished your confit it's time to make the cassoulet!

Rabbit Cassoulet

Ingredients:

confit meat from one 2 to 3 lb rabbit
2 cups Great Northern white beans, rinsed and soaked over night
2 yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
cheesecloth
butcher's twine

2 whole cloves of garlic
1 bunch parsley
1 sprig rosemary
4 to 6 sage leaves
2 springs thyme
2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
8 oz smoked sausage, thickly sliced on the bias

half of a french baguette (about the size of two fists)
2 cloves of garlic
1 small bunch of parsley

1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil




Description:

Place a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add about 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Once heated, add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.  Salt and pepper to taste and sauté until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add the drained beans and enough water to cover beans, chicken stock.  While waiting for this to come back to a boil make your garni bouquet by taking a piece of cheese cloth about 5 inches square, adding the whole garlic cloves, parsely, rosemary, sage, thyme, and peppercorns.  Wrap this up and tie with twine. Add it to the pot, cover, reduce heat, and slowly simmer for 40 minutes.  Uncover, remove garni bouquet, add diced tomatoes, and simmer another 10 minutes.  Remove about 2 cups of beans from pot with a little liquid and puree.  Add this back into the pot to help thicken. In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat.  Add the smoked sausage and brown for about 5 minutes.  Add the pulled and/or diced duck confit and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the meat back into the cassoulet.  Lower your oven rack to about 10 inches from the broiler and turn your broiler on high.  In food processor combine the baguette, garlic, parsley, parmesan, pepper, and last Tbsp of olive oil.  Process until the crumbles are about the size of oats.  Divide the cassoulet into single serving bowls, top with some of the bread topping, and broil until golden brown (about 5 minutes).

Tres Bon!

Two shootouts for this post: One shootout goes to Dylan and my friends, Tricia and Phil.  It is always so much fun when we get together and cook/eat/drink.  Love you  guys! The other shootout goes to a person I've never actually met, however I absolutely love her blog ... it can be found here.  Her blog is fantastic and she inspired me to make rabbit cassoulet.  Check her out!