Cassoulet (Easy Recipe With Duck Confit)
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This dish is one of my absolute favorites from French country cooking: Cassoulet. It is a hearty bean stew from the Southwest of France, traditionally prepared with duck legs and garlicky sausage. It might seem intimidating at first, but with this recipe, you’ll get that authentic French vacation flavor without spending three days at the stove!
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Cassoulet (French Bean Stew)
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Ingredients
- 14 oz dried white beans 400 g, Lingot or Coco type
- 2 duck confit legs cut in half
- 1 tbsp duck fat from the confit legs
- 3 Toulouse or Montbéliard sausages
- 7 oz bacon 200 g, cut into strips
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes 400 g or 1 can
- 3.4 fl oz dry white wine 100 ml
- 3¼ cups chicken broth 750 ml
- 1 bouquet garni thyme, bay leaf
- ½ oz fine breadcrumbs 50 g
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
The day before
- Place the beans in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of cold water. Let them soak for at least 12 hours. Important: do not add salt yet, as this helps keep the bean skins tender.
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Heat the duck fat in a large oven-safe Dutch oven or casserole dish. First, sauté the bacon strips until golden brown, then remove them and set aside.
- Next, add the sausages (whole or halved) and then the duck legs, skin side down, and sear until everything is nicely browned. Remove the meat and set it aside briefly.
- Sauté the onions and carrots in the remaining fat until they are soft. Add the minced garlic and stir in the tomato paste, letting it cook briefly.
- Deglaze everything with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Drain the soaked beans and add them to the sauce. Season generously with pepper (be careful with salt, since the bacon and broth are already salty).
- Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and the bouquet garni. Return the meat and bacon to the Dutch oven and distribute everything evenly among the beans.
- Place the covered Dutch oven in the oven and cook for 1 hour. Then remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered for another hour.
- Check occasionally whether the beans are tender. At the end, sprinkle the dish with the breadcrumbs and bake for another 30 minutes until the famous golden-brown crust has formed.
Notes
Nutrition
Which Beans are Best for Cassoulet?
The beans are the heart of the cassoulet. They must be creamy but not mushy. Traditionally, we use Lingot beans or Coco de Paimpol in France. If you cannot find them your supermarket, navy beans are a good substitute.
Normally, you have to soak the dried beans overnight. But if you don’t have time or you forgot to do it, I’ll tell you my trick: Just bring the beans to a boil in a large pot of water and let them bubble away for 2 minutes. Turn off the burner, let them sit in that hot bath for about an hour, and they’ll be perfectly prepped for the oven
You may have noticed it in my pictures: I tested both versions for you, so you can see two different shots of the beans there – both work wonderfully!
Choosing The Right Meat for Cassoulet
A cassoulet traditionnel usually includes pork knuckle and enough meat to feed an army 😅. But when I cook it at home, I focus on the “Big Three” and it’s absolutely enough :
- Bacon (lard) for the smoky flavor.
- Garlic Sausage: Ideally Saucisse de Toulouse. If your local butcher doesn’t have it, a mild Italian garlic sausage or Kielbasa is a great U.S. alternative.
- Confit de Canard: You can often find these in 2-pack cans. They are already cooked, just need to infuse in the stew.
Portion tip: For very large eaters, calculate one duck leg and one sausage per person. Personally, I find this almost too big. I prefer to serve half a leg and half a sausage, especially if there is a starter beforehand or a dessert afterwards.
5 Tips for a Perfect Cassoulet
Here are a few more tips for you that I think are important to make your cassoulet really flavorful:
- Brown the meat well: Take your time to sear the meat until golden brown all over. The roasted flavors are the basis for the sauce.
- Be patient with the beans: Don’t stop until the beans are buttery. If they feel “chalky” or floury, they need more time.
- The famous crust: While the cassoulet bakes in the oven, a crust forms on top. According to tradition, you have to break it in and stir it in seven times before the dish is ready. This makes the whole thing incredibly creamy!
- Duck fat: Use high-quality duck fat for sautéing. If your duck confit came in a jar or tin, use the fat it’s packed in!
- Prepare the day before: Like almost every stew, cassoulet tastes even better the next day when it is well cooked.
What Exactly is a Cassoulet?
The name is derived from the “cassole”. This is a traditional, cone-shaped clay pot in which the dish is cooked in the oven. But don’t worry: you don’t have to buy a new pot now – a good cast-iron roasting pan (my beloved cocotte) will do just as well!
The dish originates from the sunny southwest of France, the so-called “Golden Triangle”. Three cities have always passionately fought over who invented the original: Toulouse, Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. Each city has its own little variation, but they all have one thing in common: it is an honest, hearty peasant dish that used to simmer on the stove all day.
What do you serve with cassoulet?
As the dish is very rich, I recommend a light green salad with a classic vinaigrette. The acidity of the dressing is the perfect contrast to the hearty stew.
FAQ about cassoulet
A little tip for your next dinner with friends: You pronounce it “Kass-u-lee”. The “t” at the end remains silent – very French!
The cradle of the cassoulet lies in the south-west of France, in the Languedoc. The three towns of Castelnaudary, Carcassonne and Toulouse form the “golden triangle” of cassoulet. Of course, each town claims to have the only true recipe!
Yes, absolutely! Cassoulet is one of those dishes that tastes even better when reheated because the flavors have had time to fully develop. You can easily keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for up to three months. When reheating in the oven, you can add a small amount of water or stock to keep the beans nice and creamy.
Cassoulet is a rustic “one-pot” dish. It is best served in deep plates. Make sure that each guest gets a piece of the crispy crust, some of the creamy sauce and, of course, the different types of meat. As it is very substantial, you don’t really need any other side dishes apart from a piece of baguette.
Here we stay in the region! A strong red wine from the southwest is ideal, for example a Madiran, a Cahors or a Fitou. These wines have enough structure to stand up to the strong aromas.
Fancy more French Classics?
If you liked the cassoulet, you’ll love these classics. They are perfect for cozy evenings and – just like the cassoulet – are easy to prepare:
I found the recipe simple to follow and the complete dish turns out delicious. However, the only thing in making it is very time consuming, because there are so many ingredients that has to be prepared separately.
Hi Dee, thank you so much! Yes, it’s definitely not a quick recipe for every day (especially because you have to sear the meat one by one) but maybe a dish you can make again when you have friends and family over. 🙂