Cassoulet is a classic French bean stew that is traditionally made with pork or sausages and is enjoyed over supper. It is a very rustic dish but it is definitely one that will satisfy your appetite.
There are a few elements to this dish and it certainly requires a lot of planning but it will be worth while.
Ingredients:
(Beans)
- 1 pound of cannellini beans, soaked overnight
- 1 large onion, halved
- 8 ounces of Pancetta
- 1 whole clove
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon of rosemary
- Salt and pepper
(Stew)
- 1 pound of cooked Duck Leg Confit
- 1 pound of link sausages
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery, diced
- ½ onion diced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
(Toppings)
- 2 cups of panko bread crumbs
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup of butter
Preparation Method:
- Drain the beans that have been soaked overnight and add it in a pot along with the onion, clove, smashed garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary and about 10 cups of water. Let the mixture simmer over medium heat and cook until the beans have softened for approximately 1 hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain the beans while still preserving the liquid for later use. Discard the onion, bay leaf and clove and transfer the beans into a mixing bowl.
- Heat a pan using medium heat and cook the pancetta along with the carrot, celery and diced onions. Cook for about 10 minutes and season with salt. Add the can of diced tomatoes into the mixture and cook until the liquid thickened. Add the mixture into the beans.
- In another pan, heat about 1 teaspoon of olive oil under medium heat and cook the link sausages and duck confit until browned. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
- Heat the oven to 175°C. Spread half of the beans mixture onto a tray and place the duck-sausage mixture on top of the beans. Spread the remaining beans mixture on top of the protein. Bring the bean mixture to a simmer on the stovetop before baking it in the oven for about 30 minutes. Make sure to cover the tray with aluminium foil when baking.
- While in the oven, melt the butter and add in the crushed garlic, panko breadcrumbs and parsley. Mix until evenly combined.
- Check your oven and make sure the cassoulet still has liquid; if it is dry you can add more water. Spread the panko mixture on top of the cassoulet and continue baking without the cover for another 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 190°C and cook for another 20 minutes until the topping is crispy. Let it rest for 5 minutes and serve the cassoulet on individual plates with a piece of duck and enough sausages on each plate. Enjoy!