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Traditional Cassoulet
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Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
220 minutes
Total Time:
715 minutes
French bean stew with pork, duck confit, and sausage - a comforting classic that's totally achievable for first-timers.
Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds dried flageolet, great northern beans, or navy beans
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 4  duck whole leg confit , excess fat trimmed off
  • 6 slices (6 ounces) thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausages
  • 1/2 baguette or 4 slices crusty sourdough bread, torn into small pieces
  • 2 tablespoons duck fat (rendered from browning the confit) or olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions:
  • To soak the beans, place them in a large pot and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and let them soak for at least 8 hours, either on the kitchen counter on a cool day or in the fridge.
  • Partially cook the beans with aromatics: Drain and rinse soaked beans. Combine with diced tomatoes, white wine, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, and garlic in a pot. Cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Remove thyme and garlic, if desired.
  • Preheat the oven by setting the rack to the center and heating it to 300°F.
  • Prepare the meats: Pat dry the duck legs. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the duck legs, and brown on both sides for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter, saving some duck fat in a bowl for later. If desired, cut the duck legs in half or remove the meat from the bones for easier eating. In the same pot, cook bacon for 5 minutes until fat is rendered. Transfer to the platter with the duck. Season pork with salt and pepper. Make a few small incisions in the sausages. Brown pork and sausages on all sides for about 10 minutes. Transfer to the platter and slice the sausages into 1-inch rounds.
  • To deglaze the pot, place the Dutch oven over medium heat. Use about 1/2 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid to scrape off the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon.
  • To assemble the cassoulet, layer the beans, bacon, pork, duck, and sausages in a Dutch oven. Pour in the bean cooking liquid until it almost covers the ingredients. Reserve any extra liquid for later use during cooking.
  • To bake the cassoulet, seal the Dutch oven with a lid and place it in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes without peeking.
  • Prepare the breadcrumbs by pulsing the bread in a food processor until you achieve large crumbs, approximately 1/2-inch in size.
  • To finish the cassoulet: Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and check the beans for doneness. Add bean cooking liquid if needed. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Press breadcrumbs gently into the cassoulet and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350ºF, drizzle duck fat or olive oil over the top, and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Finish with parsley and enjoy; store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

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