This heartly dish from south-west France is ideal for large gatherings on cold winter days. It is traditionally made with a type of haricot bean called lingot, but the creamy texture of butter beans also works well. All the components of dish can be made days in advance, then assembled on the day. It reheats very well, simply top up with a little more liquid if it looks dry.
Ingredients:
675 g dried butter beans, or other white beans
500 g smoked italian pancetta, fat bacon or belly pork, in a piece
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless duck breasts, halved crossways, or chicken legs or thighs
750 g fresh Toulouse sausages or italian coarse pork sausages, cut into 3 pieces each
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4-6 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 whole cloves
3 tablespoons tomato puree
12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
75 g fresh white breadcrumbs
50 g butter
sea salt freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
The night before, put the beans in a very large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water(to cover them by their depth again) and let soak for several hours or according to the packet instructions.
The next day, drain the beans well and trip into a large saucepan. Cover with fresh water, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hour or until just cooked. Drain well (reserving the cooking liquid).
Trim and discard the rind from the pancetta, and cut the flesh into large pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a drying pan, brown the pieces in batches and transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the duck breasts and fry skin side down until the skin is golden. Transfer to the same plate as the pancetta. Brown the sausages in the same way and add to the plate. Add the onions to the pan, then the carrot, garlic, bay leaves, dried thyme, cloves, tomato puree and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until softening.
Put half the beans in a large, deep casserole. Add an even layer of all the meats, then the onion and tomato mixture.Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining beans, then add enough reserved hot cooking liquid so that the beans are almost covered. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Bake the cassoulet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. Gas 4 for about 1 hour until a golden crust has formed, then serve.
makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
675 g dried butter beans, or other white beans
500 g smoked italian pancetta, fat bacon or belly pork, in a piece
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless duck breasts, halved crossways, or chicken legs or thighs
750 g fresh Toulouse sausages or italian coarse pork sausages, cut into 3 pieces each
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4-6 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 whole cloves
3 tablespoons tomato puree
12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
75 g fresh white breadcrumbs
50 g butter
sea salt freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
The night before, put the beans in a very large bowl, cover with plenty of cold water(to cover them by their depth again) and let soak for several hours or according to the packet instructions.
The next day, drain the beans well and trip into a large saucepan. Cover with fresh water, bring to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hour or until just cooked. Drain well (reserving the cooking liquid).
Trim and discard the rind from the pancetta, and cut the flesh into large pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a drying pan, brown the pieces in batches and transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the duck breasts and fry skin side down until the skin is golden. Transfer to the same plate as the pancetta. Brown the sausages in the same way and add to the plate. Add the onions to the pan, then the carrot, garlic, bay leaves, dried thyme, cloves, tomato puree and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until softening.
Put half the beans in a large, deep casserole. Add an even layer of all the meats, then the onion and tomato mixture.Season well with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining beans, then add enough reserved hot cooking liquid so that the beans are almost covered. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Bake the cassoulet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. Gas 4 for about 1 hour until a golden crust has formed, then serve.
makes 6-8 servings
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