Toulouse-Style Cassoulet

Ingredients

• 500 g dried white beans, soaked overnight
• 4 duck confit legs (bought or homemade)
• 400 g Toulouse sausage
• 200 g smoked slab bacon, thickly sliced
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 500 ml duck or chicken stock
• 1 bouquet garni
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp duck fat
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. 1Cook the soaked beans in unsalted water for 1 hour until half-tender. Drain.
2. 2Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Brown the Toulouse sausage in duck fat in a large ovenproof casserole. Slice and set aside. Fry the bacon. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
3. 3Layer in the pot: beans, bacon, sausage, duck confit legs, crushed tomatoes. Pour in the stock and add the bouquet garni.
4. 4Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Place in the oven uncovered for 3 hours. Break through the crust and press it down 2–3 times during cooking. Add fresh breadcrumbs each time.
5. 5Serve straight from the pot with a simple green salad.