Imagine a dish so hearty and comforting it could warm the heart of even the most stoic Parisian during a rainy day. Enter the French cassoulet: the culinary equivalent of a cozy blanket made entirely of beans, meat, and love. Originating from the southwest of France, this rustic stew has roots that dig deep into medieval times when it was crafted to sustain soldiers during the Hundred Yearsā War. Legend has it, a siege-weary cook threw every leftover ingredient into a pot, and voilĆ , the cassoulet was bornāa testament to French ingenuity and an empty pantry.
Fast forward a few centuries, and cassoulet has become a beloved staple, known for its soul-soothing properties and ability to render any table silent with contentment. Packed with succulent duck confit, savory sausages, and tender beans, each bite is like a warm hug from a French grandmother you never knew you had. So, dust off that Dutch oven, pop open a bottle of red, and prepare to embark on a culinary journey that will leave you both stuffed and cultured. Bon appƩtit!
1. Assemble Day 1 ingredients – Poultry Brine 
2. Brine poultry overnight in the refrigerator 
3. Soak the beans overnight in a deep dish filled with filtered water 
4. Assemble the Day 2 ingredients 
5. Briefly boil the beans using the same pot for cooking 
6. Pat poultry dry, brush with olive oil and Mediterranean herb mix, then broil in the oven until skin is brown 
7. When the poultry skin is brown, remove from broiler, do NOT cook fully 
8. Puree onions, fresh herbs, and filtered water in a Ninja food processor 
9. Chop the meat into bite sized chunks 
10. Chop Pork belly into cubes, set aside some skin to render and season the dutch oven 
11. Render pork skin to season the dutch oven (optional) 
12. First cook pork belly cubes, then add Duck Fat and brown sausage in small batches 
13. remove meat after browning, set aside, and cook onion mixture in drippings until darkens 
14. Combine onion mixture with beans and carrots 
15. Prepare cooked ingredients for layering into the dutch oven 
16. Start with a layer of beans on the bottom 
17. Remember to have fun 
18. layer in pork, sausages, and ham hock 
19. Top with poultry legs 
20. cover completely with a top layer of beans 
21. Bake in the oven for 4 hours, breaking the top occasionally and adding in more stock
Ingredients
Day 1 – Beans & Brine
16 ounce bag dry great northern / cannellini beans
6 bone-in chicken or duck legs, uncooked
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup whole allspice
1/4 cup whole peppercorn blend
1/4 cup Italian / Mediterranean spice blend
Day 2 – Onion Puree Mix
1 large yellow onion
10 cloves garlic
1/4 cup filtered water
1/2 bunch fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
1/4 cup fresh thyme
2 teaspoons French salt (Fleur de Sel)
1 carrot, shredded
Day 2 – Meat
1/2 pound skin on pork belly
4 to 6 mild Mediterranean sausages
2 tablespoons duck fat
1 ham hock
32 ounces of chicken stock
Equipment
Le Creuset Dutch oven: 1 pot meal!
Steps
Day 1
Step 1 – Soak Beans and Brine Poultry
Rinse the beans thoroughly in a colander then soak overnight in a deep mixing bowl filled with water that covers the beans by more than 3 inches.
Separately, add 2 inches of water to a dutch oven and bring to a boil on a stovetop.
Add salt, whole allspice, pepper blend, and Italian / Mediterranean spice blend and continue to boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool water with ice.
Gently place the 6 poultry legs in the cool brine solution, add cold water until legs are submerged then brine in a refrigerator overnight.
Day 2
Step 2 – Cook the Beans
Drain and rinse the beans, return to the dutch oven, fill with water, bring to a boil on the stove and cook for 6 minutes.
Drain, rinse, transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow the beans to cool on the countertop.
Step 3 – Broil the Poultry
Remove the poultry legs from the brine, pat dry, and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Brush chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle on the Mediterranean Italian spice.
Broil in the oven on low until the skin is a nice, dark brown. Do NOT cook fully.
Step 4 – Puree Onion Mix
Use a Ninja food processor to puree onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, Fleur de Sel, and water. Set aside.
Shred the carrot using a grater and set aside in a small bowl.
Step 5 – Chop and Brown Pork and Sausages
Pre-heat the Dutch oven on a stovetop on med-high heat.
Trim the skin off the pork belly and set aside a small amount to season the dutch oven (optional).
Render the pork skin in the Dutch oven (optional).
While the pork skin is cooking, cut the remainder of the pork belly and sausages into ~1 inch cubes.
First, cook the pork belly cubes until dark brown and very crispy. Remove, set aside, preserve drippings.
Add duck fat to the dutch oven and allow to heat.
Brown the sausage cubes in small batches for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove, set aside with the pork belly cubes, preserve drippings.
While the sausages are browning, use a chef’s knife to break up the ham hock into smaller pieces, preserving the bones for the cassoulet.
Step 6 – Cook Onion Puree and Combine With Beans
When all the meat is browned and removed, add the onion puree mix to the dutch oven and cook until the mixture darkens and thickens, about 10 minutes.
Combine the onion puree mix with the beans in the mixing bowl, add shredded carrot and mix thoroughly.
Step 7 – Layer and Bake
Prepare all the cooked ingredients for layering into the dutch oven and preheat the oven to 350Ā°.
Start with a layer of beans that covers the bottom of the dutch oven, use ~1/3.
Add in the pork belly, sausage, and ham hock for the second layer.
Level the second layer by filling small gaps with beans.
In a circular pattern, gently place the 6 poultry legs in a third layer.
For the top layer, cover the poultry legs completely with the remaining beans.
Fill with chicken stock, making sure the top layer of beans are in contact with the liquid.
Cook in the oven at 350Ā° for 1.5 hours, reduce heat to 325Ā° and cook for another 2.5 hours.
Periodically as needed, “crack the top” with a wooden spoon and add warm chicken stock, keeping the top layer of beans in contact with liquid.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
A great wine pairing for a traditional French cassoulet is a robust red wine from the Southwest of France, such as a Cahors or a Madiran. Both of these wines have the depth and complexity to stand up to the hearty ingredients of a cassoulet, creating a harmonious taste bud immersion.
Cant eat it all? Refrigerated leftovers for up to 3 days.
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