Cassoulet de Toulouse

Although there are many recipes for cassoulet, this one is based on a version from the French province of Languedoc, famous for its sausages and foie gras.

Ingredients

700 g	White beans, uncooked (Main)
300 g	Pork belly
2	Carrots
3	Onions, stuck with cloves
2 cans	Chopped tomatoes
4 cloves	Garlic
2	Bouquet garni
2	Duck legs
400 g	Boned lamb shoulders
1 to taste	Salt & freshly ground pepper
3	Pork sausages

bouquet garni

1	Bay leaf
4 sprigs	Fresh parsley
2 sprigs	Fresh thyme

Directions

1. Cover 700g of white beans and a 300g piece of belly pork with cold water and soak overnight.
2. Strain and put into a large pot with 2 peeled carrots, 1 onion stuck with cloves, 1 can of strained chopped tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic and a bouquet garni.
3. Cover with water and simmer for at least 1.5 hours until the beans are tender.
4. Confit 2 duck legs by putting them in a covered vessel in a moderate oven and allow them to cook in their own fat.
5. In a large pan brown 400g of boneless lamb shoulder cut into chunks. If possible use duck fat (available at some delicatessens); if not, use oil or butter.
6. Add 2 chopped onions and 2 chopped cloves of garlic and cook until soft, then barely cover this mix with water from the bean pot.
7. Add another can of strained diced tomatoes, another bouquet garni and season well with salt and pepper.
8. Cover the pan and simmer for 1.5 hours
9. Fry 3 pork sausages; try for those with a chunky meat filling. Cut into pieces, add to the lamb and simmer for another 10 minutes.
10. Preheat the oven to 180 degC.
11. Remove the carrots, onion, bouquet garni from the bean pot and discard.
12. Cut the belly pork into large chunks.
13. Rub the inside of a large casserole with a clove of garlic.
14. Place half the beans in the bottom of your casserole, then add all the meat including the duck legs (leave them whole), then cover this with the rest of the beans.
15. Put into the oven and once mixture starts bubbling sprinkle the top with a layer of breadcrumbs. Allow to bake for 1.5 hours.
16. During this time you need to break the crust that forms on the surface, stirring it into the mix then sprinkling with some more breadcrumbs. You should do this every 15 minutes.
17. Leave the last crust to brown.
18. Serve at the table with bread and a salad of winter greens, and wait for applause.

Bouquet garniThis little bundle of aromatic herbs is tied together to flavour stews and sauces. For each bouquet all you need is 3-4 sprigs of parsley, a bay leaf, 2 sprigs of thyme, and a piece of string to bind it together.