The French Classic "Cassoulet"

So how do you make a Cassoulet? There is one question that create conversation and debate all night. Ask 10 different French people and you will probably get 10 different answers as there is no definitive answer. This recipe is for 2 generous portions but this can easily "doubled up" if you are having friends for dinner.

This is a great for a dinner party as it can be prepared in advance and left in the oven bubbling away.

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread rolls  





Ingredients

• 1 tin of haricot  beans
• 2 Toulouse or other coarse sausages.
• 2 strips of pork belly, 0.5-1cm thick or
• 2 duck legs, cooked (Ideally 'confitted' - cooked in duck fat for a couple of hours - but fried or roasted is fine).
• 1 onion, finely chopped.
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
• A good dollop of tomato puree .  
• Olive oil, butter and/or a little duck fat.
• A pint of water or, preferably, chicken stock.

Method

1. In either the cast iron pot or a frying pan, heat a couple of glugs of olive oil with a nugget of butter and/or a nugget of duck fat.
2. Fry the sausages and pork (and duck if you haven't already cooked it and if you want extra duck fat).
3. Take the meat out, and gently fry the onions until they are soft.
4. Stir in the tomato puree and the garlic and fry for a couple of min's . You could add a glug of white wine at this point. (If you are using a frying pan, now put it's contents into the casserole dish.)
5. Put the meat in the pot, pour in all the beans, top up with the water or stock, to just cover the other ingredients.
6.  Lid on, cook the stew in a medium oven for at least 1 hour. Stir it occasionally and top up with water or stock to keep it moist. When the cassoulet is cooked, it should not have any see-through liquid coming out of it, but everything should be coated in creamy goodness. Generously season according to your taste, and put back in a hot oven, uncovered, for 10 - 20 minutes, until a crispy crust has formed.