-
1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
-
2
Trim the excess skin from the duck or chicken and place on a lined baking sheet.
-
3
Dry the trimmed skin in the oven, checking often, until crispy, about 15 minutes.
-
4
Add the skin to a food processor along with the breadcrumbs, oil and the 1/8 teaspoon thyme leaves and blend until uniform.
-
5
Set aside.
-
6
(This step can also be done while the cassoulet is stewing).
-
7
Heat the clarified butter over high heat in a heavy-bottomed saute or frying pan and, working in batches, sear the poultry, pork or lamb and sausage until they are caramelized, adding more butter if the pan gets dry.
-
8
Remove the meats to a large roasting pan or deep broiler-proof baking dish as they are completed.
-
9
In the same pan you browned the meat in, saute the onions, carrots and celery until they are caramelized.
-
10
Add the tomatoes, wine, and 5 cups water, deglazing the pan by scraping all the loose particles from the bottom of the pan.
-
11
Drain the beans and add them to the pan, along with the marjoram, parsley, bay leaves and 1/4 cup thyme.
-
12
Bring the liquid to a boil.
-
13
Pour the beans and liquid over the meats in the roasting pan, cover the pan tightly with foil if no lid is available and bake until the meat is fork-tender and the beans have absorbed most of the liquid and are tender, about 3 hours.
-
14
Remove the meat from the pan, drain the liquid from the beans and vegetables and put it into a saucepan.
-
15
Add two cups of the cooked bean and vegetable mixture to the liquid and puree with an immersion blender or puree in a blender before adding to the liquid.
-
16
This will thicken the liquid into a sauce.
-
17
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
-
18
Pour the liquid back over the remaining beans and vegetables, stirring to combine.
-
19
Preheat the broiler.
-
20
Slice the lamb or pork and lay it on the beans with the sausages and poultry legs.
-
21
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cassoulet and broil until the top is lightly browned.
