Traditional French Cassoulet

Traditional French Cassoulet

7 servings
1 hr prep4 hr cook

Ingredients

1 lb
dried cannellini beans
3 tbsp
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
5 cup
unsalted chicken stock
3 count
unflavored gelatin
2 tbsp
duck fat
8 oz
salt pork
8 oz
boneless pork shoulder
4 count
skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb
garlic sausage
1 count
large onion
1 count
medium carrot
2 count
celery ribs
1 count
whole head garlic
4 count
flat-leaf parsley sprigs
2 count
bay leaves
6 count
cloves

Before you start

  • •
    Cover beans with 3 quarts water, add salt, stir to combine, and let soak at room temperature overnight.
  • •
    Drain and rinse soaked beans and set aside.
  • •
    Cut salt pork into 3/4-inch cubes.
  • •
    Cut pork shoulder into 1-inch cubes.
  • •
    Finely dice the onion.
  • •
    Cut carrot into 3-inch sections, leaving unpeeled.
  • •
    Cut celery ribs into 3-inch sections.
  • •
    Divide garlic sausage into 2 to 4 segments if large.
  • •
    Place 4 cups of stock in a large liquid measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin over the top; set aside.
  • •
    Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Instructions

  1. 1.
    In a large Dutch oven, heat duck fat (if using) over high heat, add salt pork and pork shoulder, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 9 minutes. If not using duck fat, cook pork with no additional fat.
  2. 2.
    Using a slotted spoon, transfer browned pork to a large bowl, leaving rendered fat in the Dutch oven, and set aside.
  3. 3.
    Season chicken thighs or duck legs with pepper only (do not add salt) and place skin side down in the Dutch oven. Cook without moving until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool to room temperature.
  4. 4.
    Add sausages to the Dutch oven and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the bowl with the salt pork.
  5. 5.
    Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.
  6. 6.
    Add onion to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until translucent but not browned, about 4 minutes.
  7. 7.
    Add drained beans, carrot, celery, garlic head, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, cloves, and the stock and gelatin mixture. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until beans are slightly softened but retain a bite, about 20 minutes.
  8. 8.
    Cover the cooled chicken or duck and transfer to the refrigerator.
  9. 9.
    Using tongs, remove and discard the carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaves, and cloves from the pot.
  10. 10.
    Add browned pork and sausages to the pot and stir to incorporate so beans are almost completely submerged.
  11. 11.
    Transfer pot to the oven and cook uncovered for about 1 hour 30 minutes, adding the remaining 1 cup of stock halfway through by pouring it carefully down the side of the pot to keep beans mostly covered, until a thin crust forms on top.
  12. 12.
    Break the crust with a spoon and shake the pot gently to redistribute the contents.
  13. 13.
    Nestle the refrigerated chicken or duck into the Dutch oven skin side up.
  14. 14.
    Return to oven and continue cooking, stopping every 30 minutes to break the crust with a spoon and shake the pot gently, until the crust is deep brown and thick, an additional 1 hour 30 minutes.
  15. 15.
    Serve immediately.