Cassoulet is a staple winter dish in much of the south of France. Recipes in recipe books tend to be much more 'meat intensive' than a local French restaurant might serve which is often more of a 'soup' of haricot beans in tomato sauce with a piece of duck and pork to keep it company.
Ingredients :
500gm white haricot beans, soaked overnight
Pork (quantity according to number of people)
*Confit de canard (1 portion per person)
Toulouse (fat) pork sausages (1 per person)
Large tin of tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic
Tomato puree
*Chorizo sausage (15cm if a thumb thickness sausage, 2 cm if a wrist sized sausage, finely chopped)
*10 crushed cloves (I consider these indispensable!)
*Note: from Toulouse, not all regional variations of cassoulet include preserved goose/duck. The chorizo and crushed cloves will make the cassoulet much richer, but are not in a traditional cassoulet recipe)
Method
Cut the pork into lumps, and fry until browned in some of the goose fat from the tin of confit de canard, in a large pot
Add the haricot beans, diced chorizo, garlic, tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, pepper and crushed cloves
Add enough water to cover, and simmer for an hour or so
During the hour, fry the sausages, again in some of the goose fat
At the end of the hour (or when the beans and pork are cooked), add a little more water if necessary, then mix the sausages into the beans and put the duck on top, and put the pan in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Delicious. It is sufficient to eat just with lots of fresh bread. There are lots of variants on cassoulet recipes so don't worry too much about changing and substituting ingredients.
Save any remaining goose fat for next time you make roast potatoes!
The town of Castelnaudary is generally considered to be the 'home of cassoulet'
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