Cassoulet of Broad beans with Confit de Canard







Cassoulet of Broad beans with Confit de Canard
Spring is my favorite food time in France, after a long hard winter suddenly the markets are alive with amazing fresh spring vegetables including broad beans which we love...here's a bit of a favorite of ours
Ingredients

 2kg fresh broad beans, podded (to give about 400g)
4 confit duck legs in duck fat
3 carrots, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped 
1 onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbs each chopped rosemary and thyme
1 tsp chopped parsley stalks
200g flat pancetta or bacon, cut into 1-2cm pieces**
2 tbs tomato passata
125ml dry white wine
500ml chicken stock (salt reduced)
1 turnip, chopped



Method

Blanch broad beans in boiling salted water for 1 minute, then plunge into iced water and squeeze beans from skins. 
Note: We are lucky and in spring can get young broad beans from the farmer which means we do not have to double pod them. If you get really young fresh broad beans you will not have to double pod them otherwise follow the above step.
Scrape excess fat from duck legs and warm 4 tbs of the fat in a pan over low heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, herbs and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes or until vegetables soften. Increase heat to medium, stir in passata and wine, then bring to the boil. Add stock and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes or until thickened. Add turnip and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Add broad beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Cook the duck on high heat in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy.


**If substituting bacon for pancetta beware of the salt content as this with the chicken stock can make this dish quite salty.  

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