Mike, our winemaker, proprietor and home chef, first tried his hand at cassoulet one chilly autumn evening and it’s been a favorite of ours ever since – rich, hearty and satisfying – like a wonderful friendship. Chef John Franchetti presents a variation on this popular dish in soup form. It was our featured dish at Wine & Food Affair in 2010 and is included in Tasting Along the Wine Road Cookbook.
Start this dish two days before you plan to serve.
2 lbs. white beans
5 T extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, cubed
3 carrots cut in rounds
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
6 oz. Prosciutto, in one piece and then cubed
8 oz. pancetta, in one piece and then cubed
1 tomato peeled and chopped
5 quarts chicken stock
1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf and 3 small ribs celery, tied together)
6 duck confit legs (available in most gourmet markets)
1 lb. garlic sausage
2 T breadcrumbs
4 T chopped parsley, finely chopped
4 T zest of lemon
3 T walnut oil
salt and pepper to taste at each stage
Rinse beans under cool running water. Cover with water and soak overnight.
Sauté onions, garlic and carrots with olive oil until soft; add salt and pepper
Add prosciutto and pancetta, cook an additional minute; add tomato, 2 quarts stock and herb bouquet
Drain beans and add to mixture; bring to a simmer and cook for 1 ½ hours until the beans are tender
Remove from the heat, let cool and refrigerate overnight
Next day remove any fat from top, add additional 3 quarts of stock and reheat on low heat; add duck confit legs and garlic sausage and simmer for about 1 hour; add salt and pepper if needed
When hot, pull duck legs out, remove meat from bone and chop; remove sausage, chop into ½ inch pieces; return duck and sausage to pot; remove herb bouquet and discard
Mix bread crumbs with lemon zest and chopped parsley in a small bowl (for garnish)
When serving, ladle into a bowl, garnish with bread crumb mixture and walnut oil
Using the finest ingredients is very important - local beans, great prosciutto, chicken stock and walnut oil. Just use the best and your experience will be like mine. Have fun, John Franchetti
We love this rich earthy soup with our Amista Syrah.
