CassouletSoak 1.5 cups (about 350g) of white beans overnight, simmer 45 minutes until they begin to soften, and drain. Brown a chopped onion or two in a casserole. Add 250g pork, 70g bacon, and some sage, thyme and garlic. Cook at 380° for an hour. Add 250g garlic sausage, a raw jointed chook (if you don't have a raw jointed goose) and the beans. Stir gently, add stock if necessary, and cook for another hour. If improvising, it must stay within the bounds of meat, bird and beans to qualify as Cassoulet. Len Deighton astutely observes that "green vegetables of any kind would be an embarrassment with this dish, which should be served in bowls accompanied only by not-too-rough claret and argumentative conversation". If your guests disagree, start. See also sausage and beans: neo-cassoulet for the chef in a hurry. |