Traditional cassoulet with duck confit is a dish you have to earn. It takes time, good ingredients and a little patience, but the result is worth it: creamy beans soaked in rich juices, confit that falls off the bone and a golden crust that cracks under the spoon. Here is our recipe inspired by Castelnaudary cassoulet, for 6 people, with all the techniques that make the difference.
Ingredients for 6 people
Step 1
soak the beans
The day before, rinse the beans and soak them in plenty of cold water for 12 hours. This step is essential: it lets the beans cook evenly and stay whole. The next day, drain them, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and blanch for 5 minutes before draining again.
Step 2
cook the beans with aromatics
Cut the pork rind into large pieces. Place the beans in a large pot with the rind, the peeled onion, the carrot, two crushed garlic cloves and the bouquet garni. Cover generously with unsalted cold water and simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours. The beans should be tender but still whole. Only add salt at the end, and keep the cooking broth.
Step 3
brown the meats
While the beans are cooking, heat the duck fat in a pan. Brown the pork pieces on all sides, then the Toulouse sausages. Gently warm the confit duck legs skin side down to render some of their fat. Set everything aside, along with the cooking fat.
Step 4
assemble the cassoulet
Rub the inside of an earthenware cassole, or a large ovenproof dish, with the two remaining garlic cloves. Line the bottom with the pork rind, then add half of the beans. Arrange the pork, duck legs and sausages, then cover with the rest of the beans. Pour in cooking broth until it just reaches the top of the beans, season with pepper and drizzle with a spoonful of duck fat.
Step 5
the long bake
Bake at 150 °C (300 °F) for about 3 hours. A golden crust will form on the surface: tradition says you should gently break it with a spoon and push it into the dish seven times during cooking. If the cassoulet dries out, add a little hot broth around the edges. At the end, let the final crust form and serve straight from the dish.
Secrets of a great cassoulet
The choice of bean is decisive. The lingot bean stays whole while becoming creamy, whereas a floury bean turns into purée. Never salt the bean cooking water at the start, as it toughens the skins.
Cassoulet is even better reheated. Made the day before and baked again on the day, it gains depth. That is the tradition in the Lauragais, where people say a good cassoulet is cooked in several stages.
Finally, take your time. An oven that is too hot makes the dish boil and dries out the meats: cooking must stay slow and gentle.
No time? Ready-to-serve cassoulet
Between soaking, cooking the beans and hours in the oven, homemade cassoulet takes a full day. To enjoy the same dish on a weeknight, our canned duck confit cassoulet is made following the Castelnaudary recipe, with French lingot beans, duck confit and Toulouse sausages. Just heat and serve.
It also comes in a glass jar, up to 1.4 kg for four people, with pork hock, and as a premium duck leg confit cassoulet in a Le Parfait jar. Tip: pour it into a baking dish, sprinkle with a few breadcrumbs and bake it to recreate the golden crust of homemade cassoulet.
To learn all about the history of the dish and its three great versions, read what is cassoulet: origins and the 3 classic versions.
FAQ
Do you need to soak beans for cassoulet?
Yes. Soaking dried beans in cold water for 12 hours lets them cook evenly and stay whole. Without soaking, cooking takes longer and the result is less creamy.
Can you make cassoulet the day before?
It is actually recommended. Cassoulet gains flavour as it rests. Make it the day before, let it cool, then reheat it in the oven at 150 °C (300 °F) for about an hour before serving, adding a little broth if needed.
How much cassoulet per person?
Allow about 100 g of dried beans per person for homemade cassoulet, which means 400 to 500 g of finished cassoulet per guest as a main course.
How do you store homemade cassoulet?
Homemade cassoulet keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator in a closed container. It also freezes very well in portions for several months.
