Serves 6-8
1 1/2 lbs haricot beans, soaked in cold water overnight
1 large onion, peeled
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, plus 4 cloves, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 small, unsmoked ham hock, skin on
2 confit duck legs and their fat
1 lb pork belly or lamb breast, cubed
4 garlicky Toulouse sausages
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Drain the beans and put them in a large casserole dish. Add the onion, whole head of garlic, herbs and ham hock. Cover completely with cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about two hours, until the beans are tender but not disintegrating.
Fry the duck, pork belly or lamb breast, and sausages separately in plenty of duck fat until crisp and golden. When cool, cut the sausages into large chunks and strip the meat from the duck in large pieces.
Remove the herbs from the beans and discard. Remove the ham hock and, when cool enough, strip the meat from it. Squeeze the cooked garlic cloves from their skins and mash to a paste with the onion. Stir this into the beans along with the raw garlic and sun-dried tomato paste. Preheat the oven to 275F.
Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Grease the bottom of the casserole with a little of the duck fat mix, then tip in the beans, the rest of the duck fat and the pieces of meat and sausage. Mix well, then top with just enough liquid to cover. Season with a little black pepper.
Fry the breadcrumbs very briefly in one tablespoon of duck fat, then top the cassoulet with a thin layer of them. Bake for an hour until a crust has formed; stir this back into the cassoulet, and top with some more of the breadcrumbs. Continue cooking for another hour by which time another crust will have formed, and the cassoulet is ready to serve - with a green salad and a few bottles of red wine, preferably French.
1 1/2 lbs haricot beans, soaked in cold water overnight
1 large onion, peeled
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, plus 4 cloves, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 small, unsmoked ham hock, skin on
2 confit duck legs and their fat
1 lb pork belly or lamb breast, cubed
4 garlicky Toulouse sausages
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Drain the beans and put them in a large casserole dish. Add the onion, whole head of garlic, herbs and ham hock. Cover completely with cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about two hours, until the beans are tender but not disintegrating.
Fry the duck, pork belly or lamb breast, and sausages separately in plenty of duck fat until crisp and golden. When cool, cut the sausages into large chunks and strip the meat from the duck in large pieces.
Remove the herbs from the beans and discard. Remove the ham hock and, when cool enough, strip the meat from it. Squeeze the cooked garlic cloves from their skins and mash to a paste with the onion. Stir this into the beans along with the raw garlic and sun-dried tomato paste. Preheat the oven to 275F.
Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Grease the bottom of the casserole with a little of the duck fat mix, then tip in the beans, the rest of the duck fat and the pieces of meat and sausage. Mix well, then top with just enough liquid to cover. Season with a little black pepper.
Fry the breadcrumbs very briefly in one tablespoon of duck fat, then top the cassoulet with a thin layer of them. Bake for an hour until a crust has formed; stir this back into the cassoulet, and top with some more of the breadcrumbs. Continue cooking for another hour by which time another crust will have formed, and the cassoulet is ready to serve - with a green salad and a few bottles of red wine, preferably French.
