Cassoulet
Hearty slow-baked French bean stew with confit duck, Toulouse sausages and pork — rich, comforting and gloriously crusted.
Cassoulet is the cosy, stick-to-your-ribs slow-cooked bean casserole from the south of France. It’s all about layering humble ingredients — beans, pork, sausages and confit duck — and giving them time to become gloriously unctuous.
Make this when you have a day to potter: the soaking and slow cooking are worth it for the silky beans and the crisp, golden crust. It feeds a crowd and gets better the next day, so it’s perfect for a relaxed weekend dinner or a fuss-free dinner party.
Ingredients
- 500 g dried haricot beans
- 2 l water — for soaking and cooking beans; add more if needed
- 4 duck legs confit
- 4 Toulouse sausages
- 400 g pork shoulder — cut into 3cm chunks
- 150 g streaky bacon — cut into lardons
- 2 brown onion — finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves — crushed or finely sliced
- 2 carrot — peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks — trimmed and diced
- 400 g tinned plum tomatoes — crushed by hand or roughly chopped
- 30 ml tomato purée
- 1 l chicken stock — hot
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 20 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped, to finish
- 100 g dry white breadcrumbs — for the crust
- 30 ml olive oil
- 10 ml sea salt — adjust to taste
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- large ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven
- frying pan
- large saucepan
- baking tray
Instructions
Pick over the dried haricot beans and remove any stones. Place in a large bowl or pan, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 12 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Put them in a large saucepan, cover with fresh cold water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Meanwhile, pat the duck legs confit dry (reserve the fat) and trim the pork shoulder into even 3cm chunks. Heat the olive oil plus 1–2 tbsp reserved duck fat in a large ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder and streaky bacon in batches until nicely coloured, about 12 minutes in total. Transfer to a plate.
In a frying pan, brown the Toulouse sausages over a medium heat until golden all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the same plate as the pork.
Reduce the heat, add the chopped brown onion, garlic cloves, carrot and celery to the casserole and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute to remove rawness.
Stir in the tinned plum tomatoes, then pour in the hot chicken stock. Add the bay leaves, fresh thyme, the drained par-cooked haricot beans and the browned pork and bacon. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on the hob over a low heat for 90 minutes until the beans are tender and the pork is very soft. Season with sea salt and black pepper toward the end of this simmer.
If your casserole isn't ovenproof, transfer the mixture to a large ovenproof casserole. Nestle the browned Toulouse sausages among the beans then tuck the duck legs confit on top, skin-side up.
Sprinkle the dry white breadcrumbs evenly over the surface, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and a little reserved duck fat if you have it. Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 90 minutes until the top is deep golden and the stewing juices are glossy. After 45 minutes, baste the top with a spoon to encourage an even crust.
Remove the cassoulet from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before serving so the juices settle.
Finish with a scatter of chopped fresh parsley and a final grind of black pepper. Serve hot straight from the casserole.
Tips
- Soak the beans overnight and check them before assembly — they must be tender, not chalky. If still firm, simmer another 15–30 minutes.
- Reserve the fat from the duck confit to brown meats and drizzle on top before baking for extra flavour and a better crust.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when browning meats. Colour adds flavour; if the pan is crowded they’ll steam not caramelise.
- If you’re pushed for time, use tinned haricot beans (add them near the end of the simmer, as they only need warming) — flavour will be slightly lighter.
- Make ahead: cassoulet improves overnight. Reheat gently in the oven at 160°C fan/180°C conventional until piping hot, then refresh the crust under a hot grill for a couple of minutes if needed.
Substitutions
duck legs confit → extra pork shoulder (an additional 400g) and a tablespoon of goose or duck fat if available
Noticeably differentToulouse sausages → good-quality pork sausages (thick type), 4 sausages
Stays closedry white breadcrumbs → crushed stale baguette (100g) or panko breadcrumbs
Stays closedried haricot beans → tinned haricot beans, 3 x 400g tins, drained and rinsed (add later in the simmer)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 895
- Calories
- 40 g
- Protein
- 60 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1000 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make cassoulet in advance?
Yes — it keeps and often tastes better the next day. Reheat gently in the oven at 160°C fan/180°C conventional until hot, then crisp the top under the grill for a couple of minutes.
My beans are still hard after the long simmer — what now?
Return to a gentle simmer and cook another 15–30 minutes, checking for tenderness. Older beans can take longer; keep the liquid level topped up with hot stock.
Can I skip the breadcrumb crust?
You can, but the breadcrumb crust is a defining textural contrast. Omit only if you need a lower-carb version; the stew beneath will still be delicious.
Is cassoulet suitable for freezing?
Yes — freeze in portions once cooled. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly in the oven.
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