The Cassoulet is a complete meal rich in proteins, carbs, fibres and vegetables and for the price you pay for the meat, a very successful homemade feast which will serve/feed a crowd. Traditional French Cassoulet made with beans pork, duck and sausages
To cook a Cassoulet you need to plan a day ahead of time, as the beans need to soak in water overnight.
The meat
First, all meats should be cooked separately. Start by searing the pork shoulder with olive oil, salt and pepper and cook it in a hot oven (200 C) for 30 minutes (you will use this pan to make gravy). At the same time, but in a separate pan, cook the Toulouse sausages.
Open the tin of confit de canard and pour it with its fat into a frying pan.
Fry it at medium heat for 15 minutes, turning it half way during its cooking time.
Once the duck is ready, place it over layers of kitchen paper to dry out the fat. As it cools down to room temperature, separate the meat discharging skin and bones.
Vegetable and beans
Chop all the vegetables and prepared 2 bouquet garni, using a leek leaf wrapped around a laurel leaf and some thyme.
In one pot sear the two pieces of lamb and stir fry some of the vegetables with olive oil. Then add the beans, 2 lt of water, 1 bouquet grani, 1 tablespoon of salt and 4 pepper grains to make a stock. Let it boil for 1 hour.
In a casserole sear the pork belly, stir fry the rest of the vegetables and deglaze with the tomato paste. Cover with water and add 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of salt, 4 pepper grains and the second bouquet grani. Cook it for 45 minutes.
Assembly
Most of the ingredients are now ready, the beans should be half cooked and any extra water should be discharged.
Cut all the pre-cooked meat into chunks.
Grate the bread crumbs with 3 garlic cloves and plenty of parsley.
Deglaze the roasting pan where you cooked the pork with some water to make the gravy.
Removed the bouquet grani from the lamb stock and add the vegetables to the beans.
Heat the oven at 180 C.
Rub the casserole base with a clove of garlic, and laid the first level of beans.
Alternated the meat with the beans finishing with beans on the top. Pour the gravy and lamb stock into the pot until the liquid reaches the top level, but do not cover it completely.
Completed the topping with the flavoured breadcrumbs and sprinkled with olive oil.
The Cassoulet needs to cook in the oven for 3 hours, but every hour it requires some attention. After the first hour of cooking, take it out of the oven and push the breaded crust with a wooden spoon down into the beans. Take this opportunity to check if the beans are too dry, and if they are, add some of the stock. Do the same after 2 hours ....
....and after the 3rd hour the Traditional Cassoulet is finally ready to enjoy.
Notes
Buy the right beans
Make sure you have plenty of time
Pre-cook all the meat before
Check for salt before you assemble it
Cook for 3 more hours checking every hour if the beans are too dry