A slow-baked casserole from southern France layering white beans, duck confit, lamb sausage, and aromatic vegetables under a golden, repeatedly broken breadcrumb crust.
Ingredients
500g dried white beans (Tarbais or cannellini), soaked overnight
4 duck confit legs
300g lamb shoulder, cubed
200g lamb or turkey sausage
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, diced
400g canned crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
200g coarse breadcrumbs
1L chicken or duck stock
2 tbsp duck fat
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1Drain soaked beans, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil. Simmer 45 min until just tender. Drain, reserve liquid.
2Brown lamb shoulder and sausage in duck fat. Remove. Sauté onion, garlic, and carrots until soft.
3Add tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and beans. Simmer 30 min.
4Layer beans, lamb, sausage, and duck confit in a large cassole. Pour over enough cooking liquid to just cover.
5Top with breadcrumbs, drizzle with duck fat. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 2.5 hours.
6Every 30 min, break the golden crust and push it into the beans. The crust should form and be broken at least 3 times. Add liquid if needed.
7Serve directly from the cassole, ensuring each portion gets duck, lamb, and a share of the crust.
Did You Know?
The cassoulet tradition demands the crust be broken and reformed at least seven times during baking — purists insist this is what transforms good cassoulet into great cassoulet.