Hearty Vegetable Stew with Duck Confit and Cabbage (Garbure Gasconne)

 

https://www.saveur.com/hearty-vegetable-stew-duck-confit-cabbage-recipe/

Ingredients

• 5–6 fresh thyme sprigs
•  One 6-inch celery stalk with leaves, or a few sprigs lovage or parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
•  One 1½-lb. Savoy cabbage, cut into 6 thick wedges
• 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 large turnips (about 1 lb.), peeled and quartered
• 8 oz. ventrèche, salt pork, or fresh pork belly, chopped into bite-size strips
• 3 large medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 large leeks, rinsed well and cut into 2-in. pieces
• 4 oz. dried white beans such as white runner or great northern, soaked overnight and drained
• 7 garlic cloves (4 sliced, 3 halved lengthwise)
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 12 whole black peppercorns
• 2 duck confit legs, wiped clean of most of their fat
• 1 Tbsp. duck fat or unsalted butter
• 6 thin slices Jambon de Bayonne or prosciutto
• 6 thick slices crusty country bread, lightly toasted

• Instructions

  STEP 1

  Make a bouquet garni: in a square of cheesecloth, bundle together the thyme, celery, and bay leaf; tie with kitchen twine to close, and set aside.

  STEP 2

  To a large pot, add the potatoes, cabbage, onion, turnips, ventrèche, carrots, leeks, beans, sliced garlic, the bouquet garni, a tablespoon of kosher salt, and the peppercorns. Add 2 quarts of water, cover the pot, and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender and the beans are nearly tender, 50–60 minutes. Take the duck legs by the ankle and use them to stir the pot a few times before dropping them into the soup. Continue cooking until the beans are fully tender and the duck meat easily falls off the bone when prodded with a fork, 25–30 minutes. Let the glossy duck skin slip off into the soup, then remove and discard the bones, and coarsely chop the meat into smaller pieces.

  STEP 3

  When ready to serve, prepare the garnish: In a medium skillet, warm the duck fat over medium heat. Add the Jambon de Bayonne in batches and cook in a single layer, turning once, until lightly browned and crispy, about 4 minutes per side.

  STEP 4

  Rub each slice of bread with a garlic half and distribute the slices among 6 wide, shallow soup bowls. Ladle the garbure over the bread. Drape a slice of griddled ham atop each bowl and serve immediately.
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