Lazy Girl's Cassoulet + Roasting a Whole Duck & Liquid Gold

Traditionally named after the vessel it is cooked in (a deep, earthenware pot with slanted sides), a Cassoulet consist of beans and meats that have been slow cooked into glorious, comforting harmony.  From its peasant food origins comes a history of containing tougher cuts of meat and offal and pantry staples such as dried white beans.  Like most dishes, it has evolved over the years and in different regions

Legend has it, that once a pot of  your stew was finished cooking, you would then deglaze the pan to get a good base for your next pot of cassoulet.  Over time the offal and mutton were replaced by duck, sausages, and perhaps partridge.  And eventually people began to include pricier meats like pork, goose or even duck confit.  Today you can even find version of cassoulet that use lamb or even seafood.  But no matter the version, they are all rooted in the same tradition.

So, a traditional cassoulet is cooked for long period of time allowing tough meats to turn tender and dried beans to become plump again.  Hours of lazy bubbling draws flavor hidden deep inside the bones and develops thick, rich juices that coat your belly just as well as they coat the meat and beans.  But often we don't have to wherewithal to foresee a sudden urge for the comfort that comes from hours of waiting.  Too bad, you say?  Perhaps. But perhaps not.