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Winter Warming Cassoulet

Winter Warming Cassoulet

There are few dishes that touch the soul in quite the way that Cassoulet does. A rich, slow cooked casserole of pork, duck, sausage and beans originating in southern France, there’s no better way to chase away the cold than to get this in the oven, sit back with the tipple of your choice, and await for this bubbling vat of beans and meat to be ready.

Winter Warming Cassoulet

Cassoulet

A deceptively simple dish, this hearty and warming dish is an autumnal classic
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Prepare ham hock 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Servings 4
Calories 1885 kcal

Equipment

  • Large casserole dish
  • Oven

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 400g tinned cannellini beans
  • 1 medium ham hock skin on
  • 500 g pork belly
  • 4 Cumberland sausages
  • 100 g streaky bacon chopped
  • 2 confit duck legs with fat (or chicken thighs for a lighter dish)
  • 2 medium onions peeled, roughly chopped
  • 1 head garlic whole
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 medium carrots peeled, thinly sliced
  • 1 stick celery finely chopped
  • 1 400g tinned plum tomatoes
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bayleaf
  • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
  • 120 g breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbps olive oil
  • 800 ml chicken stock stock pots are ideal for this recipe

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork belly into one inch cubes, season lightly with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate.
  • In a medium saucepan, cover the ham hock and whole garlic head with water, bring to the boil, and simmer over a moderate heat for about about an hour or when the flesh just starts to pull away from the bone.
  • Drain and cool, then flake the meat into large chunks. This can be done well in advance.
  • Preheat the oven to 180c, 170c fan, gas mark 4.
  • In a very large casserole (heavy cast iron if possible) heat the fat from the confit duck. Add the pork cubes (depending on the size of the pan you might need to batch fry), and cook over a moderately high heat until lightly browned all over. Set aside.
  • In the same casserole, brown the ham hock and the streaky bacon. Add in the onion, carrot and celery and continue to brown. Add in 1 tbsp olive oil at this point to help stop it from catching.
  • Add the tomato paste and the tinned tomatoes, the ham hock and belly pork, the herbs and the chicken stock. Cover, and cook in the oven for one and a half hours. Turn down the oven to 170c, 160c fan, gas mark 3, after 30 minutes.
  • In a heavy pan, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium heat, then cook the sausages until browned all over. Take the casserole out of the oven, stir in the drained and rinsed beans, nestle in the sausages and duck legs.
  • Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake for one hour longer, uncovered, until it's a lovely golden brown on the top.
  • Transfer from the oven to a rack, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Cassoulet
Amount per Serving
Calories
1885
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
143
g
220
%
Saturated Fat
 
49
g
306
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
315
mg
105
%
Sodium
 
1835
mg
80
%
Potassium
 
1079
mg
31
%
Carbohydrates
 
71
g
24
%
Fiber
 
13
g
54
%
Sugar
 
9
g
10
%
Protein
 
79
g
158
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Calories
1885
Keyword Autumn, Comfort food, Warming, Winter
Tried this recipe?Mention @ColyfordB or tag #colyfordbutchers!
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Of course, if you’re using chicken thighs, you’ll need to use olive oil instead of the duck fat for browning.