Cassoulet

Foundations Referenced

• → Chicken Stock (or duck stock)
• → Bouquet Garni
• → Mirepoix
• → Herbes de Provence

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried white beans (Tarbais, cannellini, or Great Northern), soaked overnight
• 4 duck confit legs (store-bought is fine)
• 1 lb garlic sausage (Toulouse-style or kielbasa), cut into 2" pieces
• 1/2 lb pork belly or thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
• 1 onion, medium dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock (→ foundation)
• 1 bouquet garni (→ foundation)
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence (→ foundation)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp duck fat or butter
• Salt, pepper

Method

1. Cook beans: Drain soaked beans. Cover with fresh water by 2", add bouquet garni. Simmer 45 min until just tender (they'll cook more in the oven). Drain, reserve liquid. Discard bouquet garni.

2. Render lardons: Cook pork belly/bacon in Dutch oven until fat renders and meat is golden. Remove.

3. Brown sausage: In the same fat, brown sausage pieces on all sides. Remove.

4. Build base: Add onion, cook 5 min. Add garlic, 1 min. Add tomatoes and herbes de Provence, cook 5 min.

5. Layer in a deep baking dish or Dutch oven:

• Layer 1: Half the beans
• Layer 2: Lardons, sausage, tomato mixture
• Layer 3: Remaining beans
• Nestle duck confit legs on top, skin-side up
• Pour stock over until it just reaches the top layer. Add bean cooking liquid if needed.

6. First bake: Cover, bake 325°F 1.5 hours.

7. The crust ritual: Mix breadcrumbs with melted duck fat. Uncover cassoulet, press the crust that has formed back into the beans. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Bake uncovered 45 min. Traditionally, you break and re-submerge the crust 2–3 times during cooking — each time builds more flavor.

8. Serve: The top should be golden and crusty, the interior creamy and rich. Rest 15 min before serving.

What You're Learning

• Cassoulet is the ultimate expression of layered, slow-cooked French country food
• Duck confit: meat preserved in its own fat (a garde manger technique)
• The crust-breaking ritual: each layer of crust adds flavor and texture
• Patience is the primary ingredient — this dish cannot be rushed
• Multiple proteins, one pot — a masterclass in building complexity from simple components