Cassoulet

Before starting this Cassoulet recipe, make sure you have organised all the necessary ingredients.

Wash the beans and soak them for a few hours in a large volume of water. Later, rinse with running water and strain...

... and place them in a saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes to blanch the beans.

Roll and tie the pork rind...

... and blanch it together with the bacon and garlic sausage.

In a saucepan, immerse the ingredients with cold water and bring to boil, then cook for 3 minutes.

Peel the carrots, onion and garlic cloves. Stud the onion with the cloves.

Strain the beans and tip them back into the saucepan.

Place the blanched bacon and rind on top of the beans. Add the carrots, the onion and bouquet garni.

Fill the saucepan with water. The ingredients should be immersed. Cook for 30 minutes over high heat.

Cut the spare ribs...

... into cubes of 3 or 4cm. Set aside.

Cut the duck confit legs into chunks. You first need to break the bone, then remove it. Reserve the duck pieces in their fat...

... and add the bones to the saucepan. Frequently skim the surface of the water during cooking.

When cooked, remove the meat and vegetables with a skimmer, and place them in a tray...

... then strain the beans, using a colander or chinois. Return the beans to the saucepan.

In a large cast iron casserole, brown the sausages on one side in a little duck fat.

When cooked, remove from the casserole and set aside in a tray.

In the casserole, brown the duck confit, on the skin side only. Remove from the casserole and set aside.

Brown the spare ribs on all sides for about 4 minutes.

Using a utility knife, slice the remaining onions. Peel and crush the garlic. Remove the central germ.

When the spare ribs are cooked...

... transfer into a bowl.

Gently sauté the onions and garlic in the casserole.

They shouldn't brown too much.

Add the chopped tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to recover the cooking juices.

Add the bouquet garni...

... the spare ribs...

... and the cooking water from the beans.

Bring to a boil...

... then cover with the lid and cook in the oven at 180°C (gas 4) for about 2 hours.

Cut the streaky bacon...

... and place on top of the beans.

Cut the garlic sausage in thick slices, then into cubes.

Add the diced garlic sausage to the beans...

... and combine gently in order not to crush the beans.

Remove the twine from the pork rind and cut into small chunks. Set aside.

The ingredients are now ready!

Remove the cast iron pot from the oven...

... and remove the bouquet garni.

Pass the sauce through a sieve...

... and transfer the meat pieces into a separate bowl.

Press firmly with a spatula to extract as much flavour and juice as possible.

Add the meat left in the sieve into the bowl with the rest of the meat.

Gather all the ingredients and preparations, as well as the stoneware dishes.

Rub a garlic clove inside the bowls...

... then grease with duck fat, using a brush.

Arrange a few pieces of pork rind at the bottom of each dish...

... and create a first layer of white beans.

Cover with some tomato sauce...

... and add a tablespoon of duck fat...

... followed by a few chunks of duck confit and pork spare ribs.

Cover the meat...

... with a second layer of white beans.

Pour more tomato sauce...

... then cover the surface with breadcrumbs...

... and add some more duck fat.

Place the cassoulet dishes in the oven at 130°C (gas 1) and cook for 1.5 hours.

Regularly during cooking, when a crust starts to form...

... remove the dishes from the oven. Pierce the crust with a knife...

... and add more tomato sauce.

Halfway through the cooking, remove the dishes from the oven...

... pierce the surface gently...

... and add tomato sauce.

Arrange the sausages on the surface, placing them with the grilled side facing down (i.e. in contact with the cassoulet).

Return to the oven and increase the heat to 180°C (gas 4) and cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Bon appétit!