Cassoulet is one of my favorite all time meals, but you're right: it doesn't photograph all that well. (although it's better to look at in a picture than the sausages we made for James's birthday which looked like dog food. Seriously.)
Hi Jamie,
I've read your blog for a while and love it.
I had to comment on this bit 'One of the major criticisms of my cooking and lifestyle guru, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, is that normal, everyday people can't cook his recipes because the recipes are too dependent on homegrown, home-charcuteried artisanal foods.'
I'm an avid fan of Hugh and love his programmes which are as much about a lifestyle as a cooking programme.
Most people who would like to live like that are caught up in the earning-money-for-the-mortgage routine and bringing up their kids. When our children were about 3 and 9 we grew our own vegetables and kept chickens and quails, which the kids loved, but then they discovered football, and we didn't have enough hours left in the day, something has to give. It was the veg and chickens.
Now the kids are older and we have more time I think we'll start growing again and get some bees!
Keep up the good work!
Rgds
Ian
I adore cassoulet as well..and yea the falling asleep part is very true...lol.
I do my confit a little different though, pieces are not browned, just marinated and then rinsed and patted dry. Fat rendered. Into a heavy dutch oven i place the rendered fat and the duck pieces. I take an hour to get up to 190F after that the pieces cook until a skewer pushed through the meat goes in easily (2-3 hours). They are then removed as they are ready. The fat is then brough to a boil, strained, cooled slightly and poured over my duck pieces to store. then when I wish to use a piece I crisp up and brown it at that time under a broiler or in a pan.
Doing it int he oven dows sound easier if you can maintain a nice low temp.
I am truly jealous of your land and your ability to grow things (even now!) to use in your cooking. Me thinks it is time for someone to get out in her greenhouse and start planting *cough* instead of just using it to overwinter her houseplants.
Liz - Well, I like refried beans a lot and they even *smell* like dog food. 
Ian - Welcome, and thanks! I'm so glad to have you here.
I agree completely that real life intrudes--as well it should. 
What I think is wonderful is that you DID manage to raise organic veg and poultry for so long, which is something your kids will never forget and which will serve them well all their lives. And you aspire to get bees now that they are older. You've done a lot more than most parents manage to do in their very limited time, which shows that you have made it a priority. Bravo!
Jo - Slower cooking is always better on these things. Your confit sounds really decadent! I do like the double crisping effect on mine, but I suspect it's not authentic.
And yes, you should get off your butt and start planting!!! But where will you put all those houseplants? If I remember right, you have about 3 zillion of them.
Amen. Now I really need to order those ducks...
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