Italian Recipe Collection

main course meat

Castelnaudary Cassoulet

Ingredients (Serves 6)

Instructions

  1. The day before, soak the dried beans in cold water. The next day, drain and discard the soaking water.
  2. Two hours before cooking, desalt the pork in cold water (or longer depending on how salty the cut is; ask your butcher for guidance).
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel the onion and carrot, slice them into rounds, and add them to the pot along with the beans, thyme, and bay leaf.
  4. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes or slightly longer, until the beans are cooked through yet still firm.
  5. Drain the beans over a large bowl to catch and reserve the cooking liquid. Transfer the beans to another large mixing bowl (you can keep the onion, carrot, thyme, and bay leaf).
  6. Peel and mince the garlic. Slice the smoked bacon into strips.
  7. Add the garlic, smoked bacon, tomato paste, and black pepper to the white beans, then mix thoroughly.
  8. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
  9. In a large skillet, lightly brown the duck confit legs. Transfer them to a deep dish and set aside.
  10. Brown the Toulouse sausages in the same skillet for 5 minutes, using a little of the rendered duck fat. Set them aside in the dish with the duck.
  11. Cut the pork into 6 pieces and sear in the skillet for a few minutes.
  12. Lay the pork rind (skin-side down) along the bottom of a large ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven.
  13. Pour in one-third of the white beans, arrange the pork pieces and duck confit legs on top, cover with the remaining white beans, and nestle the Toulouse sausages gently into the top layer.
  14. Pour in enough reserved bean cooking liquid to just submerge the ingredients. Drizzle a little rendered fat from the skillet over the surface and bake for 3 hours (leaving it slightly longer will do no harm).
  15. Monitor periodically for the formation of a golden crust on top. Once a crust forms, gently press it down with the back of a spoon to submerge it into the cooking juices. Add a splash of bean cooking liquid if the dish looks too dry.
  16. The cassoulet is ready—serve hot and enjoy!