Cassoulet de Toulouse

⇐ Recipes from cookery books

I usually make this after Christmas using leftovers - ham and goose are really successful.

The general principle is that the meats are cooked before adding to liquid. If the meats are already cooked, or cook quickly, then they just need browning a bit. I've also added polish sausage such as kabanos which works well.

The recipe uses a breadcrumb topping. I've never done this.

Ingredients

meats - a combination of at least 3 or 4 of the following

fresh duck, or some pieces of duck or goose confit

garlic poaching sausage

bacon or salt pork, or pancetta

lamb breast

lamb shoulder

pork loin

saucisse de Toulouse (Toulouse sausages)

other ingredients

500g dried white haricot beans

30g duck or goose fat (e.g. from confit) or lard

150g baby onions - or coarsely chopped onions

500g tomatoes, peeled and seeded (or a tin)

100ml white wine

750ml broth, bean water or water (more if needed)

bouquet garni

2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 Tbs tomato paste

pork rind (optional)

breadcrumbs (optional)

Method

1. Soak the beans in plenty of cold water overnight
2. Drain and put in pot with plenty of water to cover generously. Bring to the boil, skim, and simmer for 25 minutes. Add salt and cook for a further 25 minutes or until beans are nearly tender - will depend on how old the beans are
3. If using fresh duck, roast in hot oven (220℃) on each side for 10 minutes to brown, discarding excess fat between each turn.
4. Poach the garlic sausage in a pan of water for 30 minutes. Drain and slice
5. Blanch pork rind by putting in cold water and simmering for 10 minutes. Rinse and finely chop, grind or mince
6. If bacon is very salty, blanch it
7. Remove skin and excess fat from lamb breast and shoulder. Cut into 5cm cubes. Heat half the goose fat in a large, heavy casserole and lightly brown onions and bacon. Add remaining goose fat and brown the lamb. Remove lamb and add the pork and brown lightly. Remove and lightly brown the Toulouse sausage. Remove and cut in chunks.
8. Put the chopped tomatoes in the casserole with the minced pork rind, browned bacon, onions, lamb and pork. Add the wine, broth, bouquet garni. Bring to boil and put in oven at 190℃ for 30 minutes.
9. Add beans and the rest of the meats. Top with breadcrumbs and cook for an hour checking there is enough liquid but not too soupy.

French Regional Cookery Anne Willan