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Cassoulet
Cassoulet de Castelnaudary: white beans slow-baked with duck confit, pork and Toulouse sausage
Cassoulet is the great winter feast of the Languedoc, and the towns of Castelnaudary, Carcassonne and Toulouse still argue over who makes it best. Contains pork: white beans cook with pork rind and belly, then bake for hours with duck confit and garlicky Toulouse sausages in a deep earthenware dish until a dark crust forms on top. It takes two days at a relaxed pace and feeds a crowd. Serve with nothing more than a green salad. Chef's tip: break the crust and push it under several times while it bakes; each new crust adds flavour and body.
- Total time
- 280 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the beans
For the meats
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 1 ⅔ lb dried white beans (lingot or tarbais) and put them in a large pot with the 14 oz pork belly, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 head garlic and 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley). Cover with cold water by 5 cm and bring to the boil, skimming.
15 minStep 2: Simmer for 60–75 minutes until the beans are tender but whole. Add the 2 tsp salt in the last 15 minutes; salting earlier can toughen the skins. Discard the onion, carrot and bouquet; keep the garlic and cooking liquid.
75 minStep 3: Warm the 4 duck confit legs legs in a frying pan over a low heat for 10 minutes to melt the fat. Lift out, then brown the 1 ⅓ lb Toulouse sausages in the duck fat for 8 minutes. The sausages will finish in the oven. Cut them into 3 pieces and pull the duck into large pieces on the bone.
18 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 300°F (fan 275°F). Stir 1 tbsp tomato purée and 1 tsp black pepper into the beans. In a deep ovenproof dish layer beans, pork belly, duck and sausage, ending with beans. Pour in cooking liquid to just cover.
10 minStep 5: Bake uncovered for 2½–3 hours. Each time a golden crust forms (about every 45 minutes), break it and push it under with a spoon, adding a ladle of liquid if it looks dry. A common mistake is letting it dry out; the beans should stay creamy, not stiff.
170 minStep 6: The cassoulet is done when the top is dark and crisp, the beans creamy and every sausage piece is at least 160°F in the centre. Rest for 15 minutes. It reheats beautifully: cool within 2 hours, chill, and reheat at 325°F until bubbling.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fibre
- 16 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cassoulet take?
- About 280 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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