📝 About This Recipe
Transport your kitchen to the rustic hills of Southern France with this quintessential slow-cooked treasure. This Cassoulet is a symphony of creamy Tarbais beans, succulent duck confit, and savory sausages, all united under a golden, shatter-crisp crust. It is a labor of love that rewards the patient cook with deep, complex flavors and a soul-warming richness that defines French country comfort.
🥗 Ingredients
The Beans
- 1 pound Dried Cannellini or Tarbais beans (soaked overnight in water)
- 4 ounces Salt pork (cut into small cubes)
- 1 Yellow onion (peeled and halved)
- 1 Carrot (peeled and cut into chunks)
- 1 Bouquet Garni (thyme, parsley stems, and bay leaf tied together)
The Meats
- 4 pieces Duck Confit legs (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 pound Garlic Sausage or Toulouse-style sausage (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 pound Pork shoulder (cut into 1.5-inch cubes)
- 3 tablespoons Duck fat (reserved from confit or purchased separately)
The Aromatics and Liquid
- 2 Yellow onions (finely chopped)
- 6 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
- 4 cups Chicken stock (low sodium, high quality)
- 1 cup Fresh breadcrumbs (for the crust)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot. Cover with fresh water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse again to ensure tenderness.
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2
Return the beans to the pot with the salt pork, halved onion, carrot chunks, and bouquet garni. Cover with water by 2 inches, simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours until beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and discard the onion, carrot, and herbs.
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3
In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or traditional earthenware cassole, melt 1 tablespoon of duck fat over medium-high heat. Brown the pork shoulder cubes until golden on all sides, then remove and set aside.
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4
In the same pot, brown the sausages until the skins are crisp. Remove and set aside with the pork.
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5
Lower the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions to the rendered fat and cook until translucent and soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
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6
Deglaze the pot with 1 cup of the chicken stock, scraping up all the brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan.
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7
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Begin layering your cassoulet: start with a layer of beans at the bottom of the Dutch oven.
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8
Add the browned pork shoulder and sausages over the beans. Top with the remaining beans, nestling the duck confit legs into the top layer so the skin is exposed.
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9
Pour in the remaining chicken stock and enough reserved bean cooking liquid to just barely cover the beans, leaving the duck skin peeking out.
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10
Bake uncovered for 2 hours. A thin crust will begin to form on the surface.
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11
Every 30 minutes, use a spoon to gently break the crust and push it back into the beans, which allows the flavors to concentrate and the texture to thicken.
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12
After 2 hours, sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top and drizzle with a little extra duck fat. Bake for another 1 to 1.5 hours without breaking the crust, until it is deep mahogany and thick.
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13
Let the dish rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to settle and the beans to absorb the final bits of liquid.
💡 Chef's Tips
Use Tarbais beans if you can find them; their thin skins and creamy texture are the gold standard for Cassoulet. Don't rush the browning of the meats, as this creates the deep 'umami' base for the entire dish. If the beans look dry during the long bake, add a splash more stock or bean water around the edges. Breaking the crust several times during cooking is the secret to the traditional 'seven skins' that give Cassoulet its legendary depth. This dish tastes even better the next day, so consider making it 24 hours in advance and reheating gently.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
A crisp, acidic green salad with a sharp Dijon vinaigrette to cut through the richness. A robust red wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, such as a Fitou or Corbières. Warm, crusty sourdough baguette to mop up every last drop of the savory bean sauce. Pickled red onions or cornichons served on the side as a bright palate cleanser. A simple dessert of poached pears or fruit sorbet to finish the meal lightly.