Cassoulet de Toulouse à la Pappa

Notes on ingredients

As described in the story above, a cassoulet is basically a meat and bean stew. And similar dishes use all types of beans and meat, so if ingredients are difficult to source, we do not need to get too hung up on being highly authentic. What I feel is important is that the beans are allowed to cook with some braising type of meat and bones, which can help identify the best type of ingredients. The method of cooking is staged so that braising type meat is introduced at the beginning and tender meats are added toward the end.

Many recipes include lamb or mutton, but although I was tempted, adding lamb to the list of meat felt like too much meat. In any event, I believe cassoulet are as much about the beans than the meat. But even here, the French haricots used in cassoulets are rather specialist – Elizabeth David says to use haricot of the type ‘Soissons’ – they are much larger, even larger than a cannellini. They are also very expensive – but if you can source a similar bean (such as haricot Tarbais), I feel they are worth extra cost. Le Marché du Quatier in London’s Borough Market sells large haricot beans loosely wrapped (as well as excellent duck confit). I got my haricot Tarbais (and Toulouse sausages) from French Click online store. Some recipes include garlic sausage, but I find this unrelentingly garlicky. However, it is the nature of cassoulet to have some garlic in the flavour.

Many traditional cassoulets include large pork rinds and though I get the idea of gelatinous fat melding ingredients together, I cut back by using a smaller rind still attached to a belly of pork. I think bones are a good idea for a cassoulet – they could come from a knuckle of pork, but I used pork spare ribs. Salt pork is often called for and I presume this is a cured gammon joint – perhaps another knuckle. I have used bacon lardons instead which impart a little salt into the mix. If you can find large thick slices of smoked bacon so much the better. There is often something smoked so I combined the salt and smoke in smoked bacon.

Finally, the duck confit. These are great to make at home, but they are a bit of a fuss. You can buy them at some French retailers (Le Marché du Quatier mentioned above) or from specialist butchers. Otherwise, If Julia Child suggest fresh duck, you could try fresh, but the curing of a confit does impart a distinctive flavour, so I would try to seek these out – even at the cost of compromising elsewhere…

On cooking and eating

This dish requires a lot of cooking time. Most of the recipes in my books say serve at midday, but that will require a very early start. It does feel like a Sunday lunch type of meal, but I think it is fine to eat at night (providing you keep to normal portions). Otherwise, cook it the day before and keep it in the fridge. Re-heat for a good 2 hours at 160C, Gas 3.

Serve with a green salad – perhaps including pre-cooked broccoli – dress lightly with oil and vinegar.

Method

1. Soaking the beans. Check the beans for quality and remove any duds or anything that is not a bean. Put in a large bowl with a large amount of water. Leave to soak overnight.
2. Pre-boil the beans. Drain the soaked beans. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the beans. Bring back to a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly to disperse the beans. Leave to one side for half an hour.
3. Purify the pork. In another saucepan fill with enough water to cover the pork. Bring to the boil and drop in the belly of pork and spare ribs, including the thick bacon slices if using. Bring back to the boil for a minute. Remove the belly and ribs (and sliced bacon if using). If using lardons, put these into the boiling water for a minute. Then strain.
4. Simmer the pork. Refill the pan with just enough water to cover the pork and bring to a boil. Add the belly (skind side down) and ribs and simmer gently for 5 minutes, removing any scum that forms. Remove the ribs and continue cooking the belly gently for another 10 minutes (this to help soften the rind). Remove the pork, retaining the cooking liquid.
5. First stage cooking of beans on the hob. Drain the beans. NB: this liquid is an interesting substance. Elizabeth David says this process releases oxide of potassium contained in the beans (responsible for flatulence – which the process tries to reduce). She says to pour it into an outside drain, not in a drain in the house as the smell will linger for days, she also says that some keep it bottled and use it as a cleaning agent. These days it is known as ‘aquafaba’ and a bit of a miracle liquid which can be used instead of eggs for vegans or otherwise used as a thickener, stabilizer, binder or emulsifier. I can only think that the modern beans are cultivated differently as the liquid has no bad smell. Many suggest keeping the liquid to continue the cooking; however, I have decided that it will do no harm to start afresh. Into a large saucepan, add the bacon (lardons or cut slices), one peeled onion stuck with four cloves, two unpeeled cloves of garlic and a tied bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Add the pork cooking liquid, and enough fresh water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to created gentle but steady simmer. Simmer for 1 – 1/2 hours, topping up with hot water if necessary. Remove the onion, garlic and herbs. Strain retaining the cooking liquid.
6. Preparing meats, vegetables and herbs for cassoulet. After the beans have been cooking as above for about an hour, pre-heat the oven to 150C, Gas 2, and prepare the vegetables, chopped onion and garlic. Put these in a pan with a little duck or goose fat (perhaps from the confit) – or olive oil – and gently fry until the onion is softened but not browned. Strain the contents of the pan and reserve the fat/oil. Return the fat/oil to the pan and brown the meat side of the belly of pork and the ribs. In another large saucepan add the wine and bring to the boil for two minutes, then add the tomato and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and return to a boil. Add the pork belly and ribs, fried vegetables and another tied bunch of bay leaves and thyme and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Second stage cooking of beans with meats and vegetables in the oven. You will now have one pan of cooked beans and one pan of hot stock, tomatoes, vegetables and meat. We need to combine these and put them in the oven. Use whatever you have – a large casserole or a couple smaller casseroles. I used our giant Le Creuset to start and then transferred to 3 smaller casseroles (NB: the picture for this post is just one of the casseroles). When you have found your cooking vessels, combine the beans with the hot stock, tomatoes, vegetables and meat. Top up with the bean cooking liquid. Cook for 1 – 1/2 hours.
8. Adjusting the meats and adding the sausages and confit. After the cassoulet has been gently cooking in the oven for about an hour, fry the sausages and the duck legs in a little goose or duck fat or olive oil until lightly browned. Cut the sausages into two or three pieces each. After the cassoulet has been in the oven for 1 – 1/2 hours, remove from the oven and remove the pork belly and ribs and place on a chopping board. Using tongs and a knife, cut the belly into pieces and scrape the meat off the bones. Return the pork to the cassoulet and bury the hot sausages and legs into the cassoulet. Return to the oven and when up to heat, continue to cook for 1/2 an hour. At least two hours in total so far in the oven.
9. Finishing the cassoulet and adding a crust. Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and drizzle over a little goose or duck fat or olive oil and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Take the cassoulet from the oven and taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Careful with the salt if using very salty bacon. Add the breadcrumbs to the top of the cassoulet and return to the oven. Increase the heat to 180C, Gas 4 and continue to cook for one hour. Some recipes say to continually break the surface and add more crumbs during this process – but I think it is fine to leave in place. Check and turn the cassoulet so it does not burn. Cover with tinfoil if necessary. Enjoy.