juniper

Layers of duck, two kinds of sausage, a hearty ragout, and beans make this the comfort meal to end all comfort meals. It’s an occasion to break out the biggest pot you own. Our classic cassoulet recipe takes no shortcuts and requires a little planning, but every step is totally doable, even if you’re not a pro.

Cassoulet

duck legs

Tbsp.

thyme

garlic cloves, smashed

black peppercorns

juniper berries (optional)

cloves

peeled,

1½ lb. dried Tarbais, corona,

pancetta (leave in 1 thick piece)

scrubbed,

garlic,

bay leaf

black pepper

Kosher salt

pork

vegetable oil

carrot, peeled, chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

tomatoes

chicken stock chicken broth

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

lb. fresh pork sausage (such as Toulouse, sweet Italian,

medium-fine fresh breadcrumbs, divided

parsley

garlic clove,

lb. precooked garlic sausage, sliced crosswise ¼" thick (optional)

Layers of duck, two kinds of sausage, a hearty ragout, and beans make this the comfort meal to end all comfort meals. It’s an occasion to break out the biggest pot you own. Our classic cassoulet recipe takes no shortcuts and requires a little planning, but every step is totally doable, even if you’re not a pro. It requires a few ingredients you won’t find in the typical supermarket. Save yourself from searching all over town and head to D’Artagnan’s website, where you can order French Tarbais beans, precooked garlic sausage, and Moulard duck legs. Just don’t leave this for the last second.

Bon Appétit

Prick skin on duck legs all over with the tip of a paring knife. Rub legs with salt, making sure to massage into flesh and skin.

Place legs in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto legs. Rest a plate on top of legs and weigh down with several 28-oz. cans. Chill at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.

Note: If you’re going to cook the beans and ragout and combine tomorrow, soak the beans tonight. If not, just remember to soak them the day before you want to cook them.

Preheat oven to 250°. Evenly scatter thyme, garlic, peppercorns, and juniper berries (if using) across a large baking dish or roasting pan and add 2 Tbsp. water.

Remove duck legs from bowl. Rinse off salt and arrange legs, skin side down, over aromatics in baking dish. Cover dish tightly with foil and weigh down with a cast-iron skillet or a heavy baking dish. Bake until fat renders out of duck and legs are submerged, about 2 hours.

Carefully remove baking dish from oven and remove skillet and foil. Turn legs skin side up and nestle back into fat. Cover dish again with foil and continue to cook legs, unweighted, until duck meat is very tender and bones wiggle easily in joints, 2–2½ hours longer.

Let legs cool in fat until you can handle them, then transfer with tongs or a spider to a plate. Strain ¼ cup fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and let cool. Cover and set aside for cooking the breadcrumbs. Strain remaining fat into an airtight container; cover and reserve for another use (like roasting potatoes).

Remove skin from legs, trying to keep as intact as possible; transfer skin to an airtight container. Cover and chill. Pull duck meat from bones, tearing into 2" pieces; discard bones and cartilage. Place meat in another airtight container; cover and chill. You won’t need the skin, meat, or fat until you’re ready to assemble the cassoulet.

Do Ahead: Duck legs can be confited 3 weeks ahead. Transfer legs to a large nonreactive vessel; strain fat through a fine-mesh sieve over meat. Cover and chill. Let come to room temperature before using. Meat and skin can be prepared 3 days ahead; keep chilled.

Stick a clove into each onion half. Place in a large pot along with beans, pancetta, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf; pour in cold water to cover beans by 2". Season with several grinds of pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Partially cover pot and cook beans, skimming surface occasionally and adding more water as needed to keep beans submerged and seasoning with a couple of pinches of salt after about 30 minutes, until beans are tender but not falling apart, 45–60 minutes for cannellini and 1–1½ hours for Tarbais or corona. Remove pot from heat; pluck out and discard onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Transfer pancetta to a cutting board; let cool slightly, then cut into 1x¼" pieces. Add back to pot and let mixture cool.

Meanwhile, sprinkle pork with 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt and several grinds of pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, cook pork, turning once, until browned all over, 10–12 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate as you go.

Reduce heat to medium and place onion, carrot, and garlic in pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8–10 minutes. Return pork to pot and add thyme, bay leaf, tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pot, and simmer gently, skimming fat occasionally, until meat is fork-tender, 1¾–2 hours. Pluck out and discard thyme and bay leaf. Let ragout cool slightly.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer bean mixture to pot with ragout. Add enough cooking liquid from beans just to cover. Pour remaining bean cooking liquid into an airtight container and chill; you may need it for finishing the cassoulet later. Let ragout mixture cool completely, then cover and chill at least 12 hours.

Do Ahead: Ragout and beans can be combined 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Remove ragout mixture from refrigerator and skim fat from surface; discard. Cover pot and bring ragout to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Taste and season conservatively with salt and pepper if needed (the duck will add considerable saltiness when mixed in).

Remove reserved duck meat and skin from refrigerator. Let meat come to room temperature.

Meanwhile, arrange skin in a single layer in an 8-qt. Dutch oven or other heavy pot (the same one you’ll cook the cassoulet in). Cook over low heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 20–30 minutes. Using tongs, transfer skin to paper towels and blot away excess fat.

Prick pork sausages all over with a fork and cook in fat in same pot, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Cut into 2" pieces.

Add breadcrumbs to pot and cook, stirring often, until golden in spots and starting to crisp, about 5 minutes. If breadcrumbs seem very dry or are sticking to the pot, add 1–2 Tbsp. reserved duck fat. Transfer breadcrumbs to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add parsley and toss to combine. Wipe out pot and let cool.

Rub inside of cooled pot with cut sides of garlic; ladle in one-third of ragout mixture. Top with half of pork sausage, garlic sausage, and duck meat, then another third of ragout mixture. Top with remaining duck meat and sausages, then remaining ragout mixture. Liquid should come to top of beans. Add reserved bean cooking liquid if needed.

Do Ahead: Cassoulet can be assembled 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before proceeding. Store breadcrumbs and duck skin separately airtight at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375°. Scatter two-thirds of breadcrumb mixture over cassoulet.

Bake, uncovered, until a golden crust forms, 25–30 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spoon to break up crust, pressing very gently so crust absorbs a little liquid; smooth surface. Bake until another crust forms, 25–30 minutes; break up again. Repeat process 2 more times (for a total of 4 times). If mixture starts to look dry, moisten with a bit of reserved bean cooking liquid when breaking up the crust.

Top cassoulet with remaining breadcrumb mixture; bake until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let rest at least 25 minutes before serving.

Divide cassoulet among bowls; crumble duck skin over.

The perfect combo of flavours, this venison stew is inspired by my time with the Navajo in the US

Venison &amp; juniper stew

flour

venison

olive oil

onions

carrots

celery

juniper berries crushed in a pestle and mortar

rosemary leaves

butter

beef stock cubes

potatoes

garlic

Perfect for entertaining, this classic French dessert is given a modern twist with the addition of gin and juniper berries.

Apple, gin and juniper tarte tatin

frozen butter puff pastry, thawed

(150 grams) caster sugar

(125 milliliters) gin

vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

tsp juniper berries

Granny Smith apples, peeled, cores removed, quartered

unsalted butter

Vanilla ice cream, to serve

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5839572053001&=domain=taste

5348771529001-5839572053001

An apple tarte tatin is as classic as they come. The addition of gin and juniper keeps this dessert feeling fresh and new.

Apple gin juniper tarte tatin

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5839015206001&=domain=del

This recipe is a new twist on Bœuf Stroganoff with a juniper-cacao based spice blend. It is best paired with wide noodles, mushrooms, and beef. Optional, substitute one or all. Or add the sauce to a mushroom casserole with green beans or potatoes. Pink peppercorns are best when added at the end of cooking or sprinkled on the finished meal. Their flavor pairs perfectly with juniper. 

Russian Boeuf Stroganoff

lb beef sirloin (cut in ½ stripes)

oz mushrooms

red wine

sour cream

noodles

onion (chopped)

garlic (shopped)

orange

salt & pepper

parsley or chives (chopped)

Pouch [1] Juniper, roasted cacao, black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, cloves

Pouch [2] Pink peppercorns

On a PLATE, season beef with salt &amp; pepper to taste.

Add flour. Toss and turn the beef until it is covered on all sides with a thin layer of flour.

Prepare

In a large PAN, heat 2 tbsp of oil until sizzling.

Fry the beef for about 2-3 minutes, until it’s slightly brown but not fully cooked.

Transfer the beef to a PLATE. Cover.

In the same PAN, heat 1 tbsp of oil.

Fry onions over medium heat until translucent.

Add garlic, mushrooms, and Stroganoff [1] spices.

Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are almost cooked.

Add wine and cook until it’s evaporated.

Add orange juice and cream.

Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off!

Return beef and stir to quickly reheat.

Cook

Serve sauce over noodles.

Sprinkle with Stroganoff [2] spices to taste and fresh herbs (optional).

Enjoy!

Serve

This is a red ale with moderate carbonation, a slight bit of tartness -- but not enough to make it a true sour -- and with strong aromas of juniper, with a backnote of pine. I am still primarily an extract brewer, but feel free to modify this to be an all-grain ale if you want to. One alternative in terms of malt is to use Munich instead of Maris Otter, which I did in the first incarnation of this beer. Note that the yeast on my juniper berries is slow and steady, so you should not need a blow-off tube.

Juniper Wild Ale

Maris Otter extract ((56%))

rye malt extract ((22%))

dry light extract ((17.7%))

Special B malt ((4.5%))

Fuggles hops, (added

chopped pine needles, (added at knockout)

juniper starter

oak chips, (boiled

88% Lactic acid ((optional))

Steep the Special B malt. Put the malt into a grain bag or tie it up loosely in cheesecloth and cover it with 3 quarts of water. Bring this to 155°F to 165°F over medium heat and hold it at this temperature for 1 hour. Remove the bag and set it over the pot in a strainer. Pour 2 quarts of water heated to 170°F over it to rinse the grain. Let the bag drain for 10 minutes, then remove. Discard the grain or feed it to animals.

Start the boil. Add 2 more gallons of water to the pot and bring this to a boil. Add the hops and set the timer for 1 hour.

With 30 minutes to go, add all the extracts and stir well.

If you are using it, add the Whirlfloc to the boil along with the wort chiller, if you have one. This will sanitize the chiller.

With 5 minutes to go, add half the juniper berries.

Knockout. Turn off the heat and add the final addition of juniper berries along with the chopped pine needles.

Crash chill the wort. Use your wort chiller to chill the wort back to 75°F or cooler, depending on how warm your tap water is. Or, put the pot in a cooler with lots of ice water in it. Use a clean spoon to create a whirlpool in the wort, which will help it chill faster. Hopefully you will see gnarly bits in the wort that look like egg drop soup, or separating miso in soup: That's cold crash trub, and seeing it means you will have a clearer beer.

Move the wort to the fermentor. Add the juniper yeast starter to the fermentor; I use a glass carboy. Pour the contents of the pot through a sanitized strainer into the fermentor. If the strainer gets all gunked up with trub, remove it before continuing. Put a sanitized airlock on the fermentor and put the beer in a place where it can ferment cool, ideally 66°F to 69°F. Leave it there for 2 weeks.

Add the boiled oak chips to a new sanitized carboy and rack the beer into it. I do this only if there is a lot of crud in the fermentor. If it's OK, I just add the oak chips to the primary fermentor. Either way, let the beer finish fermenting for 10 more days.

Bottle or keg the beer. If you are bottling, you want to add enough priming sugar to the batch to get about 2 volumes of CO2, about 1.8 ounces or 51 grams for 3 gallons. Add the lactic acid to the bottling bucket. Bottle condition the ale 2 weeks before opening the first bottle. This beer ages well.

Hank -- fantastic article, came across it researching Juniper beers for a Norwegian Farmhouse style ale.

Quick question -- which species of Juniper are you using? Does it matter? 

As I understand it there are two edible Juniper varieties in CA -- the Common Juniper is the one most frequently used for flavoring / food, but only grows in a few areas, further north and at high elevation. The California Juniper is supposed to produce more bitter berries, but is much more widespread and I can find it within an hour of where I live down in southern CA.

I saw the one all grain recipe on here, and am debating about trying it. The extract recipe that is on this website by Hank turned out amazing, with very high reviews from family and friends.

Curious what size batch the all grain was for- I am guessing 3 gal? Also, does that seem like suitable grain substitutes?
Seeing as its summer, I thought I would try again.

I have now bottled and conditioned my all grain variant. It is one of my best beers yet! It tastes like camping. I have passed bottles out to friends and have only had positive reviews. Even non beer drinkers enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe. If I can ever get a wild yeast going I will brew this again.

Top 6 juniper recipes from across the web

The most viewed juniper recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Cassoulet

Venison & juniper stew

Apple, gin and juniper tarte tatin

Apple gin juniper tarte tatin

Russian Boeuf Stroganoff

Juniper Wild Ale

Top 6 juniper recipes from across the web

The most viewed juniper recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Cassoulet

Venison &amp; juniper stew

Apple, gin and juniper tarte tatin

Apple gin juniper tarte tatin

Russian Boeuf Stroganoff

Juniper Wild Ale

The most viewed juniper recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Venison & juniper stew