ST. LOUIS —
Duck and Cabbage Garbure Soup
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients
· 1 tbsp duck fat
· 3 legs duck confit
· 6 oz. ventreche (salt cured belly) cut in ½ in squares
· 8 cloves garlic, minced except one
· 1 medium yellow onion, half thinly sliced and half whole, planted with cloves
· 1 celeri branch with leaves, minced
· 1 small leek, minced
· 3 tbsp duck demi glace
· 10 cups water
· 3 sprigs parsley
· 2 bay leaves
· 2 medium carrots, cut in big cubes
· 1 large turnip, cut in big cubes
· 6 to 8 leaves of Savoy cabbage
· 1 1⁄2 cups dried Tarbais beans soaked overnight and drained
· 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into big cubes
· Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
· 8 toasted country bread slices
Instructions
1. Heat duck fat in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ventreche, then the duck legs skin side down. Cook, flipping once, until meat starts to sizzle , about 2 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic, onion, leek and celery ; cook until translucent and begins to sear, 2 minutes. Add carrots, the half onion planted with cloves, the turnip parsley and bay leaves. Add water and the 3 tblsp of demi glace.
3. Bring to a boil. Add the beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, slightly covered, until beans are tender, about an hour. Meanwhile, blanch the cabbage leaves in salted water. Uncover and stir in cabbage, potato, salt, and pepper; cook until vegetables are all tender, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and the half onion planted with cloves. Rub the toasted slices of bread with the garlic clove, lay the bread slice in the bottom of bowls and ladle soup.
4. If you want to follow tradition, you will make ‘chabrot’: once you have enjoyed all the solids in the soup, keep only a couple of tablespoons of the broth in your bowl. Add about a tablespoon of red wine in it, directly from your glass; swirl, then, with your elbows on the table, lift the bowl to your lips and drink up. You are now, officially, a true Gascon!
