Cassoulet
Cassoulet is typical, even emblematic, of southern French cuisine. It is a "slow food" casserole in which meat and vegetables, particualrly dried beans, are cooked together for a long time. Here is a simplified version of this famous dish.
213 K 3.9/5 (59 reviews)
16 hours 9 min.
Easy
8 people
15 IngredientsLast modified on: September 17th 2021
For 8 people, you will need:
- 1
3 lb + 4.8 oz white beans - 2
3 carrots - 3
1 leek - 4
2 cloves garlic - 5
1 bouquet garni - 6
2 onions - 7
1.8 oz goose fat - 8
4 lb + 6.4 oz water - 9
2 chicken stock cubes - 10
1.8 oz tomato paste - 11
1 Morteau sausage - 12
1 lb + 1.6 oz belly (streaky) bacon - 13
1 lb + 5.1 oz duck confit - 14
salt - 15
pepper
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 12 hours 60 min.
Cooking: 3 hours 15 min.
All in all: 16 hours 9 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 12 hours
Beans
Leave 3 lb + 4.8 oz white beans to soak overnight in cold water.Stage 2 - 5 min.
The next day, drain and blanch for 3 minutes in salted boiling water.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Drain the beans again.
Stage 4 - 25 min.
Prepare the carrots and cut into small pieces.
Prepare the leek and chop finely.
Peel the garlic cloves and chop finely.
Prepare the leek and chop finely.
Peel the garlic cloves and chop finely.
Stage 5 - 10 min.
Stage 6 - 3 min.
Melt 1.8 oz goose fat in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, salt and perpper and cook without colouring.
Add the chopped onion, salt and perpper and cook without colouring.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Add the carrots, leek, garlic and bouquet garni.
Stir well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stage 8 - 10 min.
Pour in 4 lb + 6.4 oz water, add 2 chicken stock cubes and bring to the boil.
Stage 10 - 3 min.
Stage 11 - 10 min.
The cassoulet
Put the pan or casserole you are going to use for the cassoulet on high heat and fry the duck confit until browned on all sides.Remove the duck pieces and set aside.
Stage 12 - 10 min.
Leave the duck fat in the pan and use this to fry the bacon and sausage, cut into pieces.
Set aside.
Set aside.
Stage 13 - 5 min.
Prepare to cook the cassoulet: put a first layer of beans in the bottom of the pan.
Stage 14 - 5 min.
Cover with a layer of meat.
Stage 15 - 5 min.
Cover the meat with a second layer of beans.
Stage 16 - 2 hours
Add stock (from stage 10) to cover with about 1 cm (1/2 inch) over the top of the beans.
Cover and cook in the oven at 360°F (180°C) for around 2 hours.
Cover and cook in the oven at 360°F (180°C) for around 2 hours.
Stage 17
Serve each guest with a generous mix of beans and the different meats.
Remarks
The proportions of this recipe are not rigid, so you can add a little more or a little less of something, according to your taste.
For the dried beans, use whatever fairly large white beans you can get. A good French variety is 'lingot du nord'.
For the duck confit, if you are using legs, allow 2 per person.
For the sausage, use a good variety that is available where you live (I prefer using smoked sausage, but this is a matter of taste).
Cassoulet is one of those dishes that just gets better each time you reheat it, so don't hesitate to make a large quantity for reheating on another day or for freezing.
For the dried beans, use whatever fairly large white beans you can get. A good French variety is 'lingot du nord'.
For the duck confit, if you are using legs, allow 2 per person.
For the sausage, use a good variety that is available where you live (I prefer using smoked sausage, but this is a matter of taste).
Cassoulet is one of those dishes that just gets better each time you reheat it, so don't hesitate to make a large quantity for reheating on another day or for freezing.
And to drink?
A red wine from the south-west of France. My preference is for a Cahors to accompany this dish.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, protected by plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 410 RDI=160 % | 460 RDI=40 % | 850 RDI=130 % | 11,190 RDI=560 % | 46,870 RDI: 560 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=3 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 180 RDI=9 % | 760 RDI: 9 % |
| Per person | 50 RDI=20 % | 60 RDI=5 % | 110 RDI=20 % | 1,400 RDI=70 % | 5,860 RDI: 70 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 8 people : 27.75 €
- Per person : 3.50 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Water
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White beans
Like these other recipes: Warm white bean salad with smoked trout, Cassoulet-style shepherd's pie., Harichou salad, How to prepare white beans, White bean gratin "à l'italienne", ... See them all 12
Belly (streaky) bacon
Like these other recipes: Sausagemeat, Eggs Arsène, Bacon and cabbage omelette, Sunday night pasta, Potato wallets, ... See them all 30
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