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A tasty and hearty country dish, originaly from the languedoc (southwestern region of France), cassoulet consist of white beans flavoured with pork fat, garnished with fresh or preserved meats (confit) and baked slowly in the owen. There are three traditional types of cassoulet : O Cassoulet from Castelnaudary contains pork knuckle (fresh hocks), ham, local sausages and fresh pork rinds and is enriched with preserved goose. O Carcassonne cassoulet contains leg of lamb and partridge in season. O Toulouse cassoulet consists of fresh belly of pork, lamb shoulder, local preserved meat and sausage. Top quality white haricot or navy beans are essential for a good, creamy cassoulet. For best results, the dish should be cooked very slowly, preferably well in advance. For an authentic taste, smoked meats or Frankfurter sausages should be never included. 2 lb dried navy beans, 3 carrots, 2 onions, 3 cloves, 8 oz bacon rind, 12 oz piece of bacon, 1 bouquet garni, 2 lb boneless goose breast, 2 lb boneless shoulder of lamb, 8 oz goose fat or lard, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 ¾ pints white wine, salt and pepper, 5 oz garlic sausage, 8 small pork sausage (chipolatas), 8 oz tomato paste (puree), 4 oz bread crumbs. Soak the dry beans overnight in cold water to cover. Rinse and drain the beans. Put them in a large cooking pot and cover with cold water. Peel 2 carrots. Peel 1 onion and stud with the cloves. Tie together the bacon rind with string. Add all these ingredients to the pot. Add the bacon and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Meanwhile, cut the goose and lamb into 1 and a half inch pieces. Set aside 1 tablespoon of goose fat and heat the rest in a large saucepan. Add the pieces of goose and lamb and brown on all sides. Peel and slice the remaining carrot and onion. Peel and crush the garlic. Add these to the meat and sprinkle with the flour. Cook until browned, stirring frequently. Add the wine and enough water to cover the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 hours over low heat. Remove the bacon rind from the beans and chop into pieces. Season the beans with salt to taste. Drain the beans and bacon. Take the pieces of meat out of the saucepan and set aside. Add the chopped bacon rind and beans to the pan. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Slice the bacon and the garlic sausage. Heat the remaining goose fat in a frying pan, add the small sausages and the tomato paste and cook over a very low heat for 10 minutes. Arrange a layer of beans in a large gratin dish. Add a layer of pieces of meat and then another layer of beans. On top of this, make a layer of slices of bacon, the small sausages and the slices of garlic sausages. Add a final layer of beans and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes and serve very hot.
Cassoulet de Castelnaudary
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