riginal recipe for Cassoulet from Castelnaudary (source - Castelnaudary Town Hall & the Brotherhood of Castelnaudary Cassoulet)

Ingredients :
Beans : Lingot type - dried
Meat : confit of duck or goose, hock or shoulder of pork & pure pork sausage with naturel skin. To this, add pork rind - indispensable for the stock. Some complementary ingredients : " Add a stir from every chef ….."

Preparation :

First part :
Soak the dried beans overnight in cold water.
Next day, drain the beans & put them in a saucepan with cold water. Bring to the boil for 5 mins, then throw away the water.
Prepare the stock with the chopped rind (large pieces), a chicken carcass &/or some pork bones. Season with salt & pepper. Add chopped cloves of garlic & some chopped salted bacon.
Filter the stock, keeping the pork rind but throwing away the rest. It is necessary to have two parts of stock to approximately one part of the soaked & blanched beans.
Cook the beans for approx. 1 1/2 hrs - 2hrs. The beans must be soft but whole. During the cooking, add a little tomato purée (a tablespoon to a kilo of beans).

Whilst this is cooking, prepare the meats. In a large frying pan or saucepan, melt slowly & gently the fat of the duck or goose. Remove the pieces of meat. In the remaining fat, brown the pork pieces. Remove the pork & drain. In the same fat, brown the sausages.

Second part :
When all the preparation is finished, place all the ingredients in a terracotta casserole dish (called " La Cassole " - this is where the name Cassoulet originated).
Place the pork rind in the base of the dish & add approx. a third of the beans.
Next, put in the meats & cover it with the remaining beans.
Put the sausages on the top of the dish & push them gently into the beans.
Pour over the hot stock until the beans are just covered.
Pepper the surface using a pepper mill.
Place in a preheated oven (150/160°) & cook for 2 to 3 hours.

A golden brown crust will form on the dish that will have to be pushed into the cassoulet several times during the cooking (it used to be said 7 times !) without crushing the beans. You will be able, at the same time, to check that the beans are not drying out. If necessary, you may add more stock but don't drown the beans !

Serve it boiling hot in its dish & happy eating ! ! !

Don't forget that this is equally as good if prepared the day before - simply reheat for approx. 1 ½ hrs at 150°.

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