Cassoulet
Cassoulet (Pays D'OC caçolet) is a speciality of the region of Languedoc and named after the clay stew-pot in which it is made. It is possibly related to cocido in Spain. Cocido is said to have originated from the Jewish and Muslim tradition of preparing food the a day or two previously in order to rest on the Sabbath. The pork was reputedly substituted as demonstration of Christian fidelity after the "reconquest".
- Prep
- 24 min
- Cook
- 56 min
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Blanch the beans for a few minutes by immersing them in plenty of boiling water for a few minutes and then into cold water seasoned with cumin.
Procedure
Drain the beans and reserve.
Procedure
Sear the meat in a pan with duck or goose fat—brown only the outside. Remove the meat and reserve.
Procedure
Sauté or stir-fry the onion in the same pan until golden or dark brown, then set aside.
Procedure
Drain and discard any residual fat from the pan. Deglaze the dark residue in the pan using stock or white wine. Reserve the deglazing liquid.
Procedure
In a casserole dish, pan, or pot, layer beans, meat, cooked onion, garlic cloves, bouquet garni, and juniper berries. Add the deglazing liquid then enough boiling salted water to cover the beans by about an inch.
Procedure
Bake at 90 °C (195°F) for about 4½ hours. If necessary, add additional boiling water during the baking. When a light crust has formed and the beans have absorbed all the water and become tender, the preparation is done.
Procedure
Let stand for about 1 hour before serving.
Notes, tips, and variations
If kept cool, cassoulet may be reheated next day, but thereafter is likely to go sour.
Notes, tips, and variations
The meats used can also include confits of pork, cheap canned pork, pig's trotters, cured sausages, and/or green bacon.
Photo: GD. Guilhem06 21:37, 20 April 2007 (UTC) · Public domain · · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 10 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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