Stellar Collection Cassoulet Recipes with Diverse Meats, Herbs, Beans

Traditional cassoulet is a complex and time-consuming dish with the huge varieties creating endless drama and debate. The good news is that it can be simplified so that everyone can cook and enjoy this rich hearty peasant-style one-pot dish of mixed meats and beans.

The key ingredients are:

Beans

Beans are the foundation of the dish that can make-or-break the dish depending on how well they are prepared and cooked. The bean should be firm and tender right through, but not falling-apart. The beans, when served, should have absorbed the flavors and aromas and of the other ingredients including the meats, herbs and stock. Traditionally white haricot beans are specified. However, these beans are large and hard to cook and may be difficult to source in your locality. Alternatively the larger cannellini or other white beans can be used, though the smaller haricot beans are creamier when cooked

Overnight soaking is advisable, but not a necessity. If not soaked overnight, bring the dried beans to the boil, and set aside to soak in hot water for 30-40 minutes, then drain and cook as usual.

Homemade spice blends and rubs have so much more flavor and aroma
Homemade spice blends and rubs have so much more flavor and aroma. Source: Dr. Bernd Gross, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Array of Meats

It can be daunting to source the smörgåsbord of meats and poultry required for the more complex cassoulet recipes. To help you choose the best meats form what is readily available you start by understanding the meat content falls into three main categories:

1. Meat to Season and Flavor the Beans - This requires a combination of salted meats, such as pieces of cured pork belly, pancetta or bacon. The fat and gelatine in the pork rind, trotter and bacon hock is also important to avoid dryness. Once slow-cooked with the beans, the meat in this category should yield nuggets of tender, delicious meat that may need to be cut off the hock and other bones and the skin. Make sure the meat is not excessively salty.

2. Meat to Provide the Bulk Meat for the Dish - This includes pork belly and shoulder, mutton shoulder, pork ribs, and/or lamb breast. Lamb and mutton have very strong flavours that can overwhelm the dish and so use wisely. Shoulder of pork is fine but is less preferred than pork belly and ribs. The meat can slide off the rib bones long, slow cooking, leaving unsightly bare ribs in the dish when served.

3. Meat Providing the Stars of the Show - This includes confit and sausage, duck and preferably goose if you an get it. Pre-cooking the goose legs, to soften the leg meat and to brown the fat and skin is is a good idea . This makes it easier to take the meat off the bone for serving. Most good quality sausages are suitable, especially the smoked varieties. The sausage should have a high meat content and lots of garlic and smoky flavors. Adding extra few slices of sausage onto the top of the dish and crisping them up with the breadcrumbs, adds texture flavors and visual appeal.

Try the wonderful collection of spice blend and rub recipes to enhance all your dishes to someting really special
Try the wonderful collection of spice blend and rub recipes to enhance all your dishes to someting really special. Source: GD. Guilhem06 21:37, 20 April 2007 (UTC), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Greek Tzatziki is a delightful dip that has many uses. Learn how to make it properly for a perfect dip.
Freshness is the key to enhanced flavors from spice mixes and rubs. It is far better to make your own at home using this wonderful array of recipes from all over the world. Source: Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Seasoning, Herbs and Flavoring

Thyme, bay leaf and parsley are the most popular herbs to complement the hefty dose of garlic. Other herbs such as rosemary if the dish includes lamb, and other preferences you may have. Fresh herbs should be added right at the end of the cooking, just before serving.

Vegetables

Vegetables are used sparingly in this dish as it is often served with a light green salad rather than vegetables. Use vegetable such as tomato and tomato paste sparingly. Avoid overcooking carrots and other hard vegetables you may prefer to add to the dish. However, cassoulet is essentially a rich and heary beef and bean soup rather than a stew of casserole dominated by vegetables.

Toppings

The traditional topping is breadcrumbs lightly browned under the grill or broiler. A well-made cassoulet should develop on its own dark brown topping in the oven, but this may require experience and experimentation to get it right. Adding gelatin to the cooking liquid helps the dish create a better crust on top as it bakes.

Hearty, Rich Pork and Duck Cassoulet Recipe

Ingredients

Method

Drain the beans and add them to a large, ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven. Just cover with water, and then add the whole head of garlic, the onion, ham hock, and herbs. Bring to the boil, and then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about two hours, or until the beans just start to become tender, but are not falling apart. Drain the beans, setting aside the liquid. Remove the herbs and onion from the beans and discard. When cool enough remove the ham hock, strip the meat from it and set aside. Pop the garlic cloves out from their skins. Add the 4 fresh garlic cloves. Then, crush to a thick paste with 4 tablespoons of duck fat in a small bowl . Stir in the sun-dried tomato paste and set aside.

Meanwhile, saute the pork belly or lamb breast, the duck and sausages meat separately in small batches. Using plenty of duck fat and fry until all the meat pieces are crisp and golden all over. Set aside to cool, and then slice the sausages into large chunks. Strip the duck meat forming large pieces.

Preheat the oven to 140 degrees C (275 degrees F). Grease the bottom of the casserole or Dutch oven with some of the duck fat mix. Add the cooked and drained beans, the remainder of the duck fat, all the pieces of meat, except for back half the sausage, which will be added to the top. Mix well, then add just enough extra liquid to cover, then season with freshly ground black pepper. No extra salt is needed.

Next, fry the breadcrumbs in a small pan with one tablespoon of duck fat, until they brown a little. Then, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the cassoulet in a thin layer of them. Bake for about 2-3 hours. Check frequently stirring the crust into the mixture as it forms. Add another layer of breadcrumbs on top. Repeat this several times to create a thick, golden crust at the end of the baking time.

Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle with a little walnut oil on top, and serve warm to hot with a spicy dressed green salad.

Light Vegetarian Cassoulet with Cannellini Beans, Garlic, Fennel and Thyme

Ingredients

For the crisp topping

Method

Heat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F). Crush the heads of garlic and remove the cloves. Trim the fennel, removing any old outer leaves. Then, cut the bulbs in half and slice thickly. Heat a deep, wide pan, or Dutch oven, over a high heat setting and add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute half the garlic, the shallots and fennel in the fat until golden brown on all sides, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then, transfer to a large, wide baking dish with 4 tablespoons of oil and mix to combine well. Sprinkle the bay leaves, thyme and lemon zest on top. Then add the beans and stir through. Add the vegetable stock and wine. Next, sprinkle the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and sugar on top with some reserved thyme leaves. Drizzle with the remaining oil over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 45-60 minutes. Then, uncover by removing the foil, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden and crusty. Remove the baking dish and set aside to rest for about 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad and servings of fresh crusty bread to mop up all the juices.

Simple Chicken, Pork, Sausage, Cannellini Bean Cassoulet

Ingredients

Method

Place the beans in a deep pan or Dutch oven, just cover with water seasoned with 3 tablespoons salt. Stir to dissolve the salt and set aside at room temperature overnight or for at least 8 hours. Then, next morning, drain and rinse the beans well with cold water and set aside. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Sprinkle gelatin over the top of the stock poured into a large liquid measuring cup and set aside. Heat duck fat or some oil in a large deep heavy pan or Dutch oven over high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the salt pork to the pan and stir fry, until the pork is browned all over (about 8-10 minutes). Transfer the pork to a large bowl and set aside.

Next, using the same pan, add the chicken pieces skin side-down and season with freshly ground black pepper. Fry undisturbed until well browned (about 6 to 9 minutes). Then, flip chicken pieces over and fry until lightly browned on second side (about 3-4 minutes). Set aside in the to bowl containing the salt pork. Then, add the sausages to the same pan and fry, turning several times, until well-browned on both sides. Add to bowl with salt pork and chicken.

Next, drain all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from frying pan. Add the onions stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the onions are just translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add drained beans, garlic, parsley, carrot, celery, bay leaves, cloves. Then pour in the stock / gelatin mixture. Bring the pot to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover Dutch oven or deep pan and cook until beans are just starting to soften (about 30-45 minutes).

Next, using tongs remove the parsley, bay leaves, carrots, celery and cloves and discard as the vegetables were only used to flavor and add complexity to the stock. Then, add all the meats to pot and mix to combine well. Ensure the chicken pieces are on top of the beans with the skin-side facing upwards. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook uncovered for about 2 hours until a thin crust forms on top. Check several times and add extra water by gently running down the sides of the pot to keep beans just covered with liquid.

The first time the crust forms, break it with a spoon and gently redistribute below the surface. Return the pan to oven and repeatedly break and distribute the crust every 30 minutes until the pan has been cooking for about 4 hours. Return to oven and cook for an additional 1-2 hours allowing a final thick crust to form on top. Serve immediately with a fresh green salad and thick crusty bread.

Toulouse-Style Cassoulet with Duck Confit, Ham Hock and Garlic Sausages

Ingredients

Method

Put the pork shoulder cubes and skin, and the ham hocks in a large dish, season lightly with pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Place the beans in a separate bowl, cover the beans with water, and set aside to soak overnight. On the following day, place the salt pork and the seasoned skin in a medium size saucepan and just cover with water. Bring the pan to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer over moderate heat until the skin softens, (about 20-30 minutes). Drain and cool. Remove the salt pork and refrigerate. Then take the pork ski and slice into 5 long pieces. Then, roll each piece into a scroll and tie with cooking string.

Next, dry the pork shoulder cubes and ham hocks with a paper towel. Heat the duck fat in a large, deep, cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven. Fry the pork cubes in two batches over moderately high heat until lightly browned all over, and then remove and set aside. Next, add the ham hocks to the pan and brown them lightly in the hot fat. Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook over moderate heat, until the onions are golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). Add the pancetta and lightly brown it in the pan. Add the head of garlic, the prosciutto and the tomato and fry, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes. Add 2 quarts (2 litres) of the broth, the bouquet garni, the browned pork, the pork skin bundles and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and lower the heat to a gently simmer and cook over low heat for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Next, drain the beans that were soaked overnight and place into a large saucepan. Cover the beans with water and using moderate heat, bring the pan to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the beans for 3-5 minutes, then drain. Add the beans to the pot and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 2 hours. Let the pot cool, then refrigerate overnight. On the next day remove the solidified surface fat reserving about 1/4 cup of the fat. Next, using tongs, remove the ham hocks, bouquet garni, prosciutto and pancetta. Take out the meats and slice into bite-size pieces. Discarding the skin, bones and gristle.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bring the pot to a slow simmer. Slice the blanched salt pork into small cubes. Crush the cooked garlic cloves and extra raw garlic cloves to a smooth paste. Add the paste to the pot and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add all of the cooked and cured meats and other items that have been set aside. Next, roast the duck confit legs in a baking dish for about 15-20 minutes. Remove large pieces of duck meat from the bones and add to the pot in large pieces with the skin sliced into strips. Discard the bones.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Cut the string binding the pork skin bundles and unroll. Line the bottom of a large Dutch oven or earthenware casserole with the pork skin strips, fat side down. Transfer about half of the pot contents to Dutch oven, casserole dish or oven-proof pot. Add the duck confit in an even layer and then spoon over the rest of the pot contents. Add 2 cups of broth to the cooking liquid and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour the liquid over the ragout and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the reserved skimmed fat. Bake the cassoulet for 1 1/2 hours.

Next, heat the vegetable oil in a medium size skillet to moderate-high. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over. Cool slightly and then slice the sausages into medium size pieces. Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Gently combine the skin that has formed on top of the cassoulet into the upper layer. Carefully place the sausages pieces on top and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of fat you retained. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Bake the cassoulet for an extra 60-75 minutes until there is richly brown layer on the surface. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes before serving with a fresh green salad and fresh crusty bread slices.

Classic Traditional Cassoulet Recipe with Duck Confit and Pork

Ingredients

for the Duck confit

Method

The day before cooking and assembling the cassoulet, prepare the duck confit by placing the 4 marylands in a small bowl. Rub the duck all over with the thyme, salt, garlic and bay leaf. Set aside in the refrigerator to cure the flavors overnight. At the same time, place the haricot beans in a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water and leave overnight at room temperature. On the next day, preheat your oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F). Rinse the marylands with water and pat them dry with paper towels. Transfer them to a small, deep roasting pan. Add the duck fat to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the melted fat over the marylands in the baking dish. Bake the duck in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is just tender. Remove from oven and leave the marylands to cool in the fat.

Heat another frying pan over moderate–high heat and add a generous spoon-full of fat from the duck. Add the pork-neck steaks to the pan and stir-fry until golden brown on each side and then remove to a plate. Brown the pork hock all over in the same pan and set aside. Next bring the stock to a simmer in an ovenproof pot or Dutch oven and add the browned steaks and hock you set aside. Add the thyme and whole head of garlic. Place the pork skin over the top of the meat, add a piece of baking paper and simmer the pork gently for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, drain the beans that have been soaked over night. Place in a saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then drain the beans immediately and refresh under cold water. Then, add the blanched beans to the pot of pork and stock and simmer for an additional 60 minutes.

Reheat your oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F). Rub the pork belly generously with the salt and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes. Place the pork belly on a baking tray skin-side up. Roast for about 25–35 minutes or until the skin is crisp and brown. Then, remove the pork from the oven and set aside to rest.

Next, reheat the same frying pan you used to fry the pork adding extra pork fat if needed. Add the sausages and fry until golden all over. Add the onion, carrot and tomato and stir-fry for 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender and then set aside. Then, heat a separate frying pan over high heat. Cut each cooked maryland you set aside in half. Place in the pan skin-side down and fry quickly until crisp on both sides. Remove the pork skin from the pot containing the pork and beans and discard. Slice and divide the pork neck, hock and the sausages into generous size pieces. Slice the roasted pork belly into 4-6 pieces. Then, add the fried duck confit and all the sliced meat and pieces to the pot containing the beans. Remove the garlic head, extract cloves and chop to a paste. Then, add the garlic puree and vegetables from the frying pan, to the pot of beans and meat and stir gently to combine all the components.

Reheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F). Slice the brioche loaf into thick slices and toast in the oven until golden brown. Dice the toasted bread into small cubes and sprinkle over the surface of the cassoulet. Bake the cassoulet in the oven for 10 minutes, or until hot through and the crumbs are golden. Serve warm to hot with a fresh green salad and crusty bread.

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