Cassoulet | Cooksmith AI | Cooksmith AICassoulet
Tags: #classic-french #stew #beans
Serving: 8 servings
Total time: 18 hours
A slow-baked Southwest French casserole of white beans, duck confit, pork, and Toulouse sausage, layered and crusted for deep, luxurious flavor.
Ingredients
- 500 g dried white beans (Tarbais, lingot, or cannellini)
- 2000 ml cold water (for soaking)
- 1500 ml cold water (for cooking beans)
- 32 g fine sea salt, divided
- 150 g fresh pork rind (skin), rinsed
- 10 g parsley stems
- 4 g thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves (0.5 g)
- 900 g duck confit legs (about 4 legs)
- 600 g pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm cubes
- 200 g slab bacon or unsmoked pancetta, cut into 1 cm lardons
- 400 g fresh Toulouse or garlic pork sausage, cut into 5 cm lengths
- 200 g yellow onion, medium dice
- 150 g carrot, medium dice
- 100 g celery, medium dice
- 20 g garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
- 250 ml dry white wine
- 1200 ml unsalted chicken stock
- 3 g freshly ground black pepper
- 100 g duck fat, divided
- 120 g fresh coarse breadcrumbs
Steps
- Rinse the beans under cold water.
- Combine beans, 2000 ml cold water, and 20 g salt in a nonreactive container.
- Cover the container.
- Refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Heat the oven to 150°C.
- Drain the beans.
- Rinse the beans under cold water.
- Place the beans in a large pot.
- Tie parsley stems, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into a bouquet garni.
- Place the pork rind in the pot with the beans.
- Add 1500 ml cold water to the pot.
- Add the bouquet garni to the pot.
- Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Skim any foam from the surface.
- Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook the beans until just tender, 60–75 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.
- Reserve 500 ml bean cooking liquid in a bowl.
- Drain the beans.
- Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
- Transfer the pork rind to a cutting board.
- Slice the pork rind into 2 cm-wide strips.
Pat the duck confit legs dry.Warm a large Dutch oven over medium heat.Add 30 g duck fat to the Dutch oven.Brown the sausage pieces on all sides, 6–8 minutes.Transfer the sausage to a tray.Brown the pork shoulder in batches, 8–10 minutes.Transfer the pork shoulder to the tray.Render the slab bacon until lightly browned, 5–7 minutes.Discard excess fat until 30 ml remain in the pot.Add the diced onion to the pot.Cook the onion until translucent, 5 minutes.Add the diced carrot to the pot.Cook the carrot until slightly softened, 3 minutes.Add the diced celery to the pot.Cook the celery until slightly softened, 3 minutes.Add the minced garlic to the pot.Cook the garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds.Stir in the tomato paste.Cook the tomato paste until darkened, 2 minutes.Pour in the white wine.Simmer the wine until reduced by half, 3–4 minutes.Add 1200 ml chicken stock to the pot.Add 12 g salt and 3 g black pepper to the pot.Return the pork shoulder and bacon to the pot.Simmer the ragout for 20 minutes.Rub a 3–4 L cassole or Dutch oven with 10 g duck fat.Line the bottom with pork rind strips, skin side down.Spoon one-third of the beans into the cassole.Spoon one-third of the ragout over the beans.Nestle two duck legs into the cassole.Add half of the sausage pieces.Spoon another third of the beans into the cassole.Spoon another third of the ragout over the beans.Nestle the remaining duck legs into the cassole.Add the remaining sausage pieces.Top with the remaining beans.Ladle the remaining ragout over the beans until just covered.Add reserved bean cooking liquid as needed to barely cover.Place the cassole on a sheet pan.Cover the cassole loosely with foil.Bake the cassole for 60 minutes.Remove the foil.Bake the cassole for 60 minutes.Press the surface crust down with the back of a spoon.Bake the cassole for 30 minutes.Press the crust down again.Bake the cassole for 30 minutes.Press the crust down a third time.Mix the breadcrumbs with 60 g duck fat in a bowl.Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the surface.Increase the oven temperature to 180°C.Bake until the crust is deep golden and the edges bubble, 20–30 minutes.Rest the cassoulet for 20 minutes.Serve the cassoulet hot.Notes
- Beans: Tarbais or lingots are traditional; cannellini are a good substitute. Keep beans slightly undercooked before baking to avoid mushiness.
- Pork rind: Lining the vessel with rind enriches the sauce and helps form a cohesive base; omit if unavailable.
- Crust: Pressing the crust down multiple times promotes a rich, cohesive interior; the breadcrumb finish adds the classic golden cap.
- Duck confit: Use high-quality confit legs or confit your own; reserve any rendered fat for cooking and the crust.
- Sausage: Toulouse sausage is traditional; use a coarse, mildly seasoned fresh pork sausage if needed.
- Make-ahead: Cassoulet improves after a night in the fridge; reheat at 150°C until hot and bubbling, 45–60 minutes.
- Serving: Pair with a sharp green salad and a robust red from Southwest France.
- Related recipes: Duck Confit, Simple Chicken Stock, Fresh Breadcrumbs.
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•Nov 1, 2025(Edited)
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