White Bean and Sausage Cassoulet
Dried white beans cooked with salt pork and aromatics, then baked slowly with browned pork sausage until the liquid reduces and a browned crust forms and re-forms on the surface.
- 1
Cover the beans with the 10 cups water in a large pot, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and let it stand covered for 1 hour.
- 2
Return the pot to the heat with the salt pork, halved onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 hour, until the beans are tender but still whole.
- 3
Fish out and discard the halved onion, carrots, herb sprigs, and bay leaves. Squeeze the soft garlic from its skins back into the pot. Reserve the beans in their liquid.
- 4
Heat the oven to 325°F. Melt the duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage on all sides, about 12 minutes, until it reads 160°F at the center.
- 5
Set the sausage aside and cook the diced onion in the fat for 6 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and fry 2 minutes until it darkens.
- 6
Scrape the onion mixture into a deep baking dish, add the beans with enough of their liquid to just cover, and tuck the sausage in among them.
- 7
Bake uncovered for 2 hours. Each time a brown skin forms on the surface, about every 30 minutes, break it with the back of a spoon and press it under, adding bean liquid if the dish looks dry.
- 8
Let the last crust stay intact for the final 30 minutes. Rest 15 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried cannellini beans, picked over
- 10 cups water
- 6 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons duck fat
- 1 1/2 pounds coarse fresh pork sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- 1
Cover the beans with the 10 cups water in a large pot, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and let it stand covered for 1 hour.
- 2
Return the pot to the heat with the salt pork, halved onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 hour, until the beans are tender but still whole.
- 3
Fish out and discard the halved onion, carrots, herb sprigs, and bay leaves. Squeeze the soft garlic from its skins back into the pot. Reserve the beans in their liquid.
- 4
Heat the oven to 325°F. Melt the duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage on all sides, about 12 minutes, until it reads 160°F at the center.
- 5
Set the sausage aside and cook the diced onion in the fat for 6 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and fry 2 minutes until it darkens.
- 6
Scrape the onion mixture into a deep baking dish, add the beans with enough of their liquid to just cover, and tuck the sausage in among them.
- 7
Bake uncovered for 2 hours. Each time a brown skin forms on the surface, about every 30 minutes, break it with the back of a spoon and press it under, adding bean liquid if the dish looks dry.
- 8
Let the last crust stay intact for the final 30 minutes. Rest 15 minutes before serving.