How to make cassoulet

Cassoulet is a staple winter dish in much of the south of France. Recipes in recipe books tend to be much more 'meat intensive' than a local French restaurant might serve, which is often more of a 'soup' of haricot beans in tomato sauce with a piece of duck and pork to keep it company.

Ingredients:

500gm white haricot beans, soaked overnight

Pork belly

Confit de canard

Toulouse (fat) pork sausages

Large tin of tomatoes

5 cloves of garlic

Tomato puree

Method:

Cut the pork into lumps, and fry until browned in some of the goose fat from the tin of confit de canard, in a large pot.

Add the haricot beans, garlic, tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, pepper.

Add enough water to cover, and simmer for an hour or so.

During the hour, fry the sausages, again in some of the goose fat.

At the end of the hour (or when the beans and pork are cooked), add a little more water if necessary, then mix the sausages into the beans and put the duck on top, and put the pan in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

It is sufficient to eat just with lots of fresh bread. There are lots of variants on cassoulet recipes so don't worry too much about changing and substituting ingredients.

Save any remaining goose fat for next time you make roast potatoes.