Cassoulet (France)
The mighty "Cassoulet du Castelnaudary", named estouffet in the middle-ages and now named after the cookware it is served in, a "Cassol d'Issel" or as it is called in Languedoc, a cassolo.
This recipe is adapted to use ingredients available outside of the south of France, and it should be served in an earthenware casserole dish or dutch oven. Second to a real cassolo, a terracotta oven dish is ideal.
Ingredients
- 500g white beans (also called haricot or navy beans)
- 1/2 a duck, bones and all
- 4 bratwurst sausages (or "Saucisse de Toulouse")
- 6 pieces of pork belly
- 2 onions diced
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 bouquet garni (see below)
- 3 carrots chopped
Bouquet garni
A bouquet garni is made with thyme, bay leaf and parsley. But some people add anything: lavender, basil, rosemary, savory or tarragon. It should be about 10cm tall and tied together with cotton string.
Preparation
Put the beans in enough warm water to soak them through, overnight is best, but 6 hours should be a minimum.
When the beans have grown, add enough water to cover the beans (approximately 1.5 liters) and boil them for 5 minutes, then drain and throw away the bean water. Set the beans aside.
Next we need to make a broth. Separate the breast and leg from your duck, and set these pieces aside for roasting. Put the remaining duck carcass in a new batch of water (topping up to approximately 1.5 liters if needed), and add chopped onions and garlic to the pot. Let it boil for a good hour.
Meanwhile, rub the duck breast and leg with olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt, put them in the oven at 190 Celsius for 35 minutes. It's okay if they're not cooked through, as long as they look tanned on the outside. Set aside when done.
When the broth is done, carefully remove the carcass from the broth, trying not to lose any small bones, then pick it clean and add any meat bits back in.
The next step involves cooking the beans in the broth. Add the beans and bouquet garni, and set to boil on medium heat for as long as it takes to cook the beans without them splitting or bursting, which is harder than it looks, so be patient. Add the carrots during the last 5 minutes of cooking if you like them slightly firm, or with the beans if you prefer well-cooked carrots.
While the beans cook, get your pork belly out and in a large pan over medium heat fry the pieces until they are golden brown. In the same oil cook the bratwurst or "Saucisse". When done, add the juices and bits from the pan to the beans, then set all the meat aside for the final step.
When the beans are tender, season the bean mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
The last step is to assemble the cassoulet and bake it. Place the pork belly pieces at the very bottom of your earthenware casserole dish and, using a slotted spoon, add a layer of the cooked beans and vegetables. Then add the roasted duck breast and leg, and another layer of beans to mostly fill the dish, add some of the bean broth to moisten if needed. Finally, insert the sausages diagonally in any space you see fit. Put the dish in the oven at 150 Celsius for 20 to 30 minutes. When the top browns a little, push down the crust and let it brown again. The more you do this the better your cassoulet will be.
Finally, you can serve it hot with bread and some nice French wine. This stew will serve 4 stew lovers.