Ingredients
- ½ pound slab bacon
- 2 pounds dried Great Northern beans, soaked in water overnight and drained
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 3 yellow onions, peeled
- 4 cloves
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 bouquets garnis
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 gallon chicken or duck broth
- ¼ cup duck fat (from confit de canard, recipe above)
- 1 pound lamb stewing meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 pound pork stewing meat, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
- ½ pound French garlic sausage (available at specialty butchers)
- 4 duck confit legs (recipe above)
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
1553 calories; 97 grams fat; 32 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 44 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 97 grams protein; 301 milligrams cholesterol; 1114 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Twelve servings
Preparation
- Melt the fat from the bacon in a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the beans and carrot. Stud 1 onion with the 4 cloves and add, along with 5 of the garlic cloves and 1 bouquet garni. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add a half gallon of broth. Cover and simmer until the beans are almost tender, about 1 hour. Drain, reserving the broth and beans. Discard the onion and the bouquet garni. Cut the bacon into 1-inch cubes.
- In a large stewing pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the duck fat. Add the lamb and pork, season lightly with salt and pepper and sear over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining fat, return the pork and lamb to the pot. Chop the remaining onions and add. Mince the remaining garlic and add, along with a bouquet garni and the tomatoes. Add 1 quart broth and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Add the beans, bacon and garlic sausage to the pot and simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove the garlic sausage and, when cool, slice in 1/2-inch slices. In a large, ovenproof pot, ladle in half the bean-and-meat mixture. Add a layer of sausage and the duck confit. Top with remaining beans and remaining quart of broth. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Three hours before serving, remove the cassoulet from the refrigerator. Remove the top layer of fat and discard. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 2 hours. If it begins to dry, moisten with reserved bean broth. Serve immediately.
Dining and Cooking