Traditional Cassoulet
Ingredients
- 1 pound white kidney beans
- 1 pound pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons rock salt
- 2 tablespoons duck fat
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in 4
- 1 medium onion studded with 8 cloves
- 1 medium green part of a leek
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken stocks
- 4 large pork sausages, Italian mild or Toulouse
- 10 slices bacon
- 4 medium duck legs confit
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
The day before:
- Soak the beans overnight in 2 liters of cold water and reserve in a fridge for 8 to 10 hours. Rub the pork shoulder with one tablespoon of rock salt on each side and let cure in a fridge for 3 to 4 hours.
Start the cassoulet:
- Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with the cold water. Bring to a boil on high heat and boil for a minute. Strain and refresh the beans under cold water to stop them from cooking. Rinse the pot and put the strained beans back. Add thyme, bay leaves, carrots, eight cloves, green leek, and tomato paste. Cover the ingredients with 5 cups of chicken stock, put the lid on top and bring to a boil on high heat.
- When the beans are boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, just until tender, but firm enough to stay together. When cooked, strain in a colander with a bowl underneath to collect the cooking liquid.
Prepare the meats:
- In the meantime, rinse the pork shoulder under cold running water and dry it with a clean towel. Heat the duck fat in a sauté pan and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown, then set it aside. Do the same for the duck confit and the pork sausages.
- You are just searing the outside of the meat, to make it golden brown. Degrease and deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid to clean and dissolve the flavor of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (if using a convection oven, bake at 25°F lower).
- Peel and chop the garlic, remove the aromatic garnish of the beans, but save the bay leaves for later use.
- Place the bacon slices on the bottom of a clay casserole or in an ovenproof dish, slightly overlapping them. Cover the bacon with a layer of beans, and then place in the center the pork shoulder, duck confit legs, chopped garlic, and the rest of the beans. Add the bean cooking stock and the remaining cup of chicken stock if needed. Place the sausages and bay leaves all around the top. Finally, season with salt and black pepper.
Babe the cassoulet:
- Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Test the beans; they should be cooked but not mushy. Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs, and bake until golden brown. It will take 10 to 15 minutes. Then, break the thin crust and add the remaining breadcrumbs and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes at 450°F, until the top becomes crusty and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve in the same dish with a glass of good red wine. A Madiran would be an excellent choice.
Cooking Tips for Easy Traditional Cassoulet
1. Soak the Beans Overnight
To start, soaking the beans for 8-10 hours in cold water not only ensures they cook evenly but also helps them absorb the flavors from the other ingredients. Be sure to drain and rinse the beans before cooking to remove excess starch and avoid a mushy texture.
2. Use Duck Fat for Authentic Flavor
Using duck fat, rather than oil or butter, adds a rich, traditional depth to the dish. When you sear the meats in duck fat, it enhances the flavor and creates a savory base that’s truly authentic to classic French cassoulet.
3. Build Layers of Flavor
For a delicious cassoulet, it’s essential to develop complex flavors gradually. Begin by searing the meats until golden brown. Then, deglaze the pan with some of the bean liquid to capture all those caramelized bits. This step ensures no flavor is wasted.
4. Slow Cook for Tender Perfection
Cassoulet is all about taking your time. By cooking it low and slow, you allow the flavors of the meats, beans, and herbs to meld together beautifully. This results in a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes cassoulet so comforting.
5. Create a Satisfying Crust with Breadcrumbs
Adding breadcrumbs in layers throughout the cooking process creates a satisfying golden crust on top. If the crust isn’t as crisp as you’d like, broiling it for a few minutes at the end will do the trick.
6. Serve Hot and Rustic
For the best experience, serve cassoulet directly from the oven, hot and in a rustic dish. Pair it with a robust red wine like Madiran to complete the classic French experience.
What is Cassoulet?
- It is a typical traditional French dish. It is the central part of a meal, which consists of meat and vegetables. The Cassoulet has an ancient, familiar, accessible, and countrywide origin. In time, it has become this great dish, which distinguishes the glory of Castelnaudary and enhances its reputation more and more every day. Cassoulet is made of beans, Toulouse sausages, a piece of duck confit cooked in its fat, a piece of pork, pork rinds, and duck or goose fat. Everything is then baked in a casserole to glaze it.
History of the Cassoulet:
- Once upon a time; thus could begin the legend of the Cassoulet. During the 100-year-old war (between 1337 and 1453), the inhabitants of Castelnaudary, who were besieged by the English, made a gigantic ragout, gathering all their reserves of beans and various meat: geese, pork and sausages. Perked up by this imposing dish, they victoriously pushed back the enemy. Since then, from the humblest family to official banquets, the capital of Lauragais has remained faithful to this tasty dish.
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