Duck and Black-Eyed Pea Cassoulet

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon chopped
• 6 cups pea-mond dressing frozen thawed
• 1 teaspoon pepper black divided freshly ground
• 0.5 cup carrots finely chopped
• 1 cup celery finely chopped
• 1.5 cups crimini mushrooms chopped
• 60 ounce duck confit legs 
• 6 cups fat-skimmed beef broth fat-free
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh divided chopped
• 2 tablespoons thyme sprigs fresh divided chopped
• 7 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• 1 cup onion yellow finely chopped

Equipment

• frying pan
• potato masher
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.
2. Remove bacon, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Increase heat to medium-high.
3. Sprinkle duck with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
4. Add 3 duck legs to drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned.
5. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining duck.
6. Add onion and garlic to pan; saut 3 minutes.
7. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, mushrooms, celery, and carrot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until very tender, stirring occasionally.
8. Stir in broth, peas, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Return duck to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 20 minutes or until duck is tender, slightly mashing beans occasionally with a fork or potato masher.
9. Remove duck from pan; cool slightly.
10. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Return meat to pan. Simmer 20 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
11. Sprinkle with bacon.
12. Wine note: The rustic flavors of this cassoulet will benefit from a red wine that pays tribute to the dish's French peasant roots. A basic Rhne red, like Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Ctes du Rhne 2005 ($13), has leathery, smoky aromas that echo the dish's earthy black-eyed peas and mushrooms, while the plummy black fruit and medium body balance nicely with dark meat duck legs. Jeffery Lindenmuth