Cassoulet

Ingredients

• 1500g dried white haricot or lingot beans, soaked overnight
• 24 duck confit legs
• 34 Toulouse sausages (or coarse pork sausages)
• 4300g pork belly or shoulder, cut into chunks
• 5200g smoked bacon or pancetta lardons
• 6400g canned chopped tomatoes
• 73 garlic cloves, minced
• 81 large onion, diced
• 91 bouquet garni
• 10300ml chicken or pork stock
• 112 tbsp breadcrumbs (for the crust)
• 12Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1Drain soaked beans, cover with fresh cold water, and simmer for 45 minutes until just tender. Drain.
2. 2Sauté onion, garlic, and lardons in a large casserole until softened. Add pork belly chunks and brown on all sides. Add tomatoes and bouquet garni.
3. 3Add cooked beans to the pot with the stock. Season well. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. 4Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Brown the Toulouse sausages in a pan.
5. 5Arrange the duck confit legs and sausages over the bean mixture in the casserole. Scatter breadcrumbs generously over the top.
6. 6Bake uncovered for 1.5–2 hours, breaking the crust and stirring it back in 2–3 times to enrich the sauce, always finishing with a final layer of crumbs on top.
7. 7The cassoulet is ready when the surface is deeply golden and the sauce is thick and unctuous. Serve directly from the pot with crusty bread.