Cassoulet

Name: Cassoulet
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 11 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 400 g dried white beans (lingot, coco or cannellini); 1 tbsp duck fat (from the confit) or olive oil; 400 g Toulouse or other garlicky pork sausages; 2 confit duck legs, halved at the joint; 200 g smoked bacon lardons or pork belly, cut into strips; 2 Onion, finely chopped; 2 Carrot, sliced; 4 cloves Garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste); 1 can tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g); 100 ml dry white wine; 750 ml chicken stock; 2 Bay leaves; 3 sprigs Thyme; 1 sprig Rosemary; 50 g fine dried breadcrumbs; salt and black pepper

The pride of Languedoc: white beans slow-baked with confit duck, garlicky sausage and pork under a deep golden crust.

French · Mains · prep 30 min · cook 3 h · waiting 8 h · serves 6 · Dairy-free, Nut-free

🔥 Cook it in the app: timers, scaling and shopping list

Ingredients

400 g dried white beans (lingot, coco or cannellini)
1 tbsp duck fat (from the confit) or olive oil
400 g Toulouse or other garlicky pork sausages
2 confit duck legs, halved at the joint
200 g smoked bacon lardons or pork belly, cut into strips
2 Onion, finely chopped
2 Carrot, sliced
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
1 can tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
100 ml dry white wine
750 ml chicken stock
2 Bay leaves
3 sprigs Thyme
1 sprig Rosemary
50 g fine dried breadcrumbs
salt and black pepper

Method

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain, cover with fresh water in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 min until just tender; they finish cooking in the oven. Drain.
Heat the fat in a large flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the sausages all over for 5 min and lift them out, then brown the duck skin-side down for 5 min and lift that out too. Fry the bacon for 5 min until golden.
Lower the heat to medium, add the onions and carrots and cook for 8 min until soft. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 min, then add the tomatoes, stock, herbs and beans. Season lightly, as the bacon and duck are already salty.
Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan, 325°F). Cut the sausages into thick chunks and push them and the duck down into the beans so they are just covered, adding a little water if needed.
Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top and bake uncovered for about 2 hours. Two or three times during baking, break the crust that forms and push it down into the beans, adding a splash of water if it looks dry.
Leave the crust alone for the final stretch so it turns deep golden. Rest for 10 min, then bring the pot to the table.

Tips

Short on time? Use three 400 g tins of white beans, skip the soaking and boiling, and cut the stock to 400 ml.
It reheats beautifully; many cooks think it is best on the second day.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

La Cuisine de Géraldine Sur La Table Leite’s Culinaria

Open Cassoulet in Nouns Cooking