French · Main · Hard
Cassoulet
White beans slow baked with duck confit, sausage, and pork under a golden breadcrumb crust. The ultimate French comfort casserole.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Cassoulet, in 5 ideas
- Soaking the beans overnight gives them the creamiest texture.
- Breaking the crust during baking is the traditional technique.
- Use a wide, shallow Dutch oven for the best crust.
- Let it rest 20 minutes before serving so it sets up.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even richer.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried white beans (Great Northern or cannellini), soaked overnight
- 4 duck confit legs
- 1 lb garlic sausage or kielbasa, cut in chunks
- 1/2 lb pork shoulder, cubed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup breadcrumbs tossed with 3 tbsp duck fat or olive oil
How to make it
Directions
- Drain the soaked beans and simmer in fresh water 20 minutes until just tender, then drain.
- Brown the pork shoulder in a Dutch oven, then remove.
- Cook the onion and carrots 6 minutes, add garlic and tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes.
- Add the beans, broth, bay leaves, and thyme, and bring to a simmer.
- Nestle in the pork, sausage, and duck confit legs.
- Simmer covered 1 hour, then uncover and bake at 325 F for 1 1/2 hours.
- Every 30 minutes, break the crust that forms and push it back down, this builds the classic texture.
- Top with the buttered breadcrumbs and bake 20 minutes until golden.
Duck confit is pricey, good quality duck legs roasted until tender make a fine substitute.