Whole-Duck Cassoulet Recipe (2024)

In honor of Mark's last day at the New York Times, we are making this cassoulet, one of our all-time favorite recipes. We will miss you, Mark. Thanks for the many, many great meals.

The final product was excellent, but this is the single most poorly organized and presented recipe in the many dozens on NY Times cooking that I have prepared. Most glaringly, this recipe above "Whole-Duck Cassoulet" lists 4-5 hours, but you can't start this recipe until you've completed the prior recipes to make the duck stock and confit. And for that, you start at least 24 hours earlier. Allow >6 hours of kitchen working time, and 30 hours overnight for it all. And, buy extra duck fat.

Used duck breasts, duck bacon, duck stock, confit, a spicy duck sausage, white beans and black eyed beans, diced tomatoes with chilies. Saute the meats, deglaze the pan add all to the casserole bake 350 for 3 hrs. Served with fresh baguette and simple green salad.

Kept breadcrumbs crispy by frying them in duck fat, draining, then salting and adding chopped parsley. Passed separately.

Instructions on dealing with beans a little sketchy and way too many cloves. Other than that a fabulous recipe. The succulent duck breasts cooked somewhat rare at the end are the proverbial icing on the cake. Delicious.

I’ve made as written multiple times and it is worth the effort. But this is also a great base recipe to adapt to what’s on hard. My wife and I like roast duck but usually have some meat leftover. I make duck stock from carcass and meat, browning vegetables and duck neck in fat from roasting pan. Used last 2 strips of bacon for slab. I substituted ham cubes for lamb but still followed recipe for seasoning and spicing and used duck meat for confit. Used Portuguese chourico for sausage. Excellent!

The final product was excellent, but this is the single most poorly organized and presented recipe in the many dozens on NY Times cooking that I have prepared. Most glaringly, this recipe above "Whole-Duck Cassoulet" lists 4-5 hours, but you can't start this recipe until you've completed the prior recipes to make the duck stock and confit. And for that, you start at least 24 hours earlier. Allow >6 hours of kitchen working time, and 30 hours overnight for it all. And, buy extra duck fat.

Soooo good! Changes that hopefully retain spirit of the recipe while maximising flavour potential:-brown Panko breadcrumbs in some duck fat and top dish about 5 mins before taking out of the oven-take bacon out halfway through cooking beans to retain some flavour-use some duck stock for initial bean soak-dribble some duck fat through layers while layering-mix the chopped bacon, shredded confit and sliced sausage through the beans before layering (I did not put the confit in with the lamb)

It’s worth the work. I did use Dartagnan duck confit and raw breast, and made stock from a duck carcass I had in the freezer. Excellent.

Made this over the weekend. So much work, but so worth the effort! The instructions are accurate and the end result was heavenly. Not to mention I get to freeze a large portion of it. This will make me look like a rock star to future dinner guests.

I made this for Thanksgiving. Worth the effort.

Used duck breasts, duck bacon, duck stock, confit, a spicy duck sausage, white beans and black eyed beans, diced tomatoes with chilies. Saute the meats, deglaze the pan add all to the casserole bake 350 for 3 hrs. Served with fresh baguette and simple green salad.

I cut the duck broth in half.

It is unclear to me whether I'm supposed to include the duck cooking liquids when assembling the cassoulet. Can anyone clarify? Thanks!

Where is the recipe for the comfit specified in the ingredients for this dish?

How many does this serve?

In honor of Mark's last day at the New York Times, we are making this cassoulet, one of our all-time favorite recipes. We will miss you, Mark. Thanks for the many, many great meals.