4 1/2 lb Duck; thawed if frozen
2 lg Leeks; trimmed, sliced
-horizontally
1 c Shallots; chopped
3 1/2 qt Water or chicken broth
1 lb Dry great northern beans;
-sorted, rinsed
1 ts Pepper
1/3 lb Unsliced coarse dense
-sourdough rye bread torn
-into 1-1/2" chunks
1 lb Slender carrots; cut into
-2" lengths
1/2 lb Thin-skinned potatoes;
-peeled, sliced 1/2"
-thick
Parsley; chopped
Salt
Pull out duck giblets; Reserve liver for other uses. Rinse bird and
giblets and pat dry. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. With
poultry shears or a sharp knife, quarter the duck. Place the bird
and giblets in a 12x15" roasting pan. Bake in 500 F oven until duck
is well browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Twice during cooking, spoon or
siphon fat from pan into a bowl. Life duck from roasting pan and
set aside.
Drain all but 1/4 cup fat from pan into bowl. Stir leeks and
shallots into roasting pan. Bake until vegetables are limp, about 5
minutes. Add 1 cup water to vegetables and stir to loosen browned
bits. Scrape mixture into an 8 to 10 quart pan. Add remaining
water, then beans, then duck and pepper. Bring to a boil over high
heat; cover and simmer until beans are tender to bite, about
2 hours.
Meanwhile, brush bread with about 2 tb reserved duck fat; discard
extra fat. Put bread in a 10x15" pan; bake in a 325 F oven until
lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. (If made ahead, store uncovered
up to 1 day). Lift duck from pan; when cool enough to handle, pull
off and discard skin and bones; discard giblets. Cut meat into
chunks and return to pan. (At this point you can let stew cool,
then cover and chill up to 1 day. Reheat to simmering.) Add carrots
and potatoes to stew. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover
and simmer until potatoes are tender to bite, 20-30 minutes; stir
occasionally. Put bread into wide soup bowls and fill with stew.
Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt. Makes 4-1/2 quarts
* An easy way to clean leeks is to slice them horizontally first.
