Reinterpreting traditional French cassoulet with field peas and andouille sausage was a no-brainer, says chef EJ Miller of Chardon, which opened in March 2025 in Houston. “It just makes sense,” Miller explains. “The flavors of Texas and the Gulf Coast go really well with French cuisine; otherwise we wouldn’t have Cajun food.”
He developed the recipe originally using crowder peas, which he says were too protein heavy. Fresh black-eyed peas were the solution, he says: “As fresh as you can possibly get, because it holds onto that starch and helps thicken the sauce.” Black-eyed pea season is also longer, giving the dish longevity on his late winter-early spring menu. “That time of year when you can get those field peas fresh, there’s something nice about it.”
He also highly recommends Best Stop andouille sausage from Scott, Louisiana. “It’s a great product. The spice level is right; after you render out that fat it lends that spice into the entire dish,” he says. He also likes the larger casing size, which allows him to dice the sausage to the same size as a black-eyed pea; uniformity is important with a dish like cassoulet that’s cooked down “so you don’t have all these odds and ends in there.” Miller finishes off the dish traditionally with house-cured D’Artagnan duck leg quarters.
Black-Eyed Pea Cassoulet with Duck Confit 
2 cups fresh or individually quick frozen black-eyed peas (uncooked)
1-2 tablespoons duck fat or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
½ cup diced carrot
½ cup diced celery
2-3 tablespoons diced fennel bulb, plus fronds for garnish
5 ounces andouille sausage, diced (Miller uses Best Stop)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
4 duck legs (skin-on, bone-in)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 cups duck fat (rendered or store-bought)
For the black eyed peas:
For the crispy duck confit:
steps
- In a 3-quart pot, bring salted water to a boil. Rinse fresh black-eyed peas and add to pot; simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until tender. (Alternatively, thaw from frozen and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.) Drain well.
- In a dutch oven, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of duck fat or olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and fennel; sauté 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add diced andouille and cook 5 minutes until browned. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in white wine and reduce by half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add cooked black-eyed peas, chicken stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until thickened and flavorful. Remove thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.
- Pat duck legs dry. Rub thoroughly with salt, pepper, smashed garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Rinse duck legs to remove cure and pat dry. Place legs in a baking dish and cover fully with duck fat. Bake uncovered for 2½ to 3 hours, until meat is tender. Let cool in fat if making ahead. To serve, sear skin-side down in a skillet over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until crispy.
- Spoon cassoulet into four bowls. Top each with a crispy duck leg. Garnish with fennel fronds if desired. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread.
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Emily Havener
Emily Havener enjoys writing about food almost as much as she enjoys eating it. She has been food blogging and developing recipes since 2008, and her particular areas of expertise are finding creative ways to use leftovers and never making a recipe the same way twice. She’s always up for raw fish of any kind and a good gin cocktail or a glass of orange wine.
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