Cassoulet Recipes
The preparation of cassoulet
cassoulet from Castelnaudary "the Father", cassoulet from Carcassonne "the Son",
cassoulet from Toulouse "the Holy Spirit"
The recipe might be the result both of factors determined by the charter and the preparation of the individual chef, but there are three distinct versions corresponding to the three towns of Castelnaudary, Carcassonne and Toulouse.
- Castelnaudary : lingot beans, preserved meat, pork chine, belly pork, pork rind, pork knuckle, onions, bouquet garni, seasonings...
- Carcassonne : add red-legged partridge
- Toulouse : add lamb and mutton then at the end of cooking pork rind sausage and preserved duck. Before putting the casserole in the oven cover it with Toulouse sausages.
Slow cooking in a low oven is essential, as is breaking the crust several times.
Some people say that breaking the crust seven times will result in a superb cassoulet!
Cassoulet Recipes
The general cassoulet :
(for 10 persons)
- 1kg dried haricots beans, Mazères lingots
- 1kg Toulouse sausage
- Pork : 1 knuckle, 1 trotter, 500g fresh rind, 400g chine, 1 ham bone, all premium quality, of course.
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, 4 large onions
- 5 preserved duck (or goose) legs and their fat
- 1 bouquet garni ( parsley, celery, thyme, bay)
- 8 cloves, coarse salt, pepper
Languedoc Cassoulet Recipe :
(for 10 persons)
- 1 kg dried "lingot" beans
- 1 pig’s trotter and 1 pork knuckle
- 300g pork rind
- 1 ham bone
- 250g neck, chine or shoulder of pork
- 5 preserved duck legs cut in half
- 400g fresh sausage
- 150g chopped onion
- 150g garlic
- 1 bouquet garni (parsley, celery, thyme, bay), salt, pepper, 10 cloves
- The day before cooling the cassoulet, prepare a stock with the rind, trotter, knuckle, ham bone
and bouquet garni. Simmer on a low heat for about 2½ hours. Skim and degrease carefully,
salt lightly.
- Also the day before, carefully check over the beans (you never know) and put them to soak
overnight. Change the water at least 2 or 3 times.
- The next morning: drain the rind, trotter, knuckle, ham bone and bouquet garni. Filter the
stock. Cut the meat into large chunks.
Squeeze the bouquet garni to extract maximum flavour.
Put the preserved meat to melt in a pan and put to one side.
- Cut the pork chine into cubes and brown in the warm fat then add the finely chopped onions
and garlic and fry until lightly coloured. Drain and put to one side.
Put the beans into cold water and bring to the boil, skim well and cook gently for 5 to 10
minutes. Drain well.
Moisten the beans with some of the reserved stock, add all of the meats and the garlic and
onions. Add pepper generously and adjust the salt if necessary.
Place into the casserole, adding the preserved meat and the Toulouse sausages which have been
lightly cooked in the oven and cut into pieces of about 10cm. Push the meats down into the
beans.
- Put into a low oven for about 2 hours.
Push the meats below the surface regularly and moisten with the remaining stock if it seems
necessary.
- Cassoulet is even better if reheated the following day.
A casserole for 10 people should be reheated in the oven for a further 2 hours. Add extra stock
to prevent it drying out.
- This is, of course, a basic recipe which does, however, remain true to the original.
