Cassoulet (France)

An authentic recipe for traditional French Cassoulet, highlighting slow-cooked white beans combined with rich duck confit, pork, and sausages under a crispy golden crust.

Level Hard Prep 40 min Cook 180 min Servings 6 Score 4.9/10

Ready in

220 min

Makes 6 servings

Prep 40m

Cook 180m

Level Hard

About this recipe

An authentic recipe for traditional French Cassoulet, highlighting slow-cooked white beans combined with rich duck confit, pork, and sausages under a crispy golden crust.

A slow-cooked French classic featuring tender beans, sausage, pork, and duck confit under a golden breadcrumb crust.

Instructions

Drain the soaked white beans, place them in a large pot with fresh water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then drain.
Return beans to the pot, add stock, studded onion, carrot, and bouquet garni. Simmer gently for about 1 hour until tender, then discard the onion and carrot.
In a heavy skillet, brown the pork shoulder chunks and pork sausages in duck fat until golden, then remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, lightly brown the duck confit legs, then gently pull the meat off the bone in large chunks.
Sauté the minced garlic and tomato paste briefly, then mix into the cooked beans along with the meats and their juices.
Transfer everything into a large traditional earthenware cassole or Dutch oven, top with breadcrumbs, and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 2 hours, breaking the crust periodically.
120 min

Nutrition

Calories 620

Protein 38g

Carbs 44g

Fat 32g

Fiber 10g

Sugar 4g

Sodium 880mg

Serving Size 1 serving

Cooking Timeline

Prep 40 min

Cook 180 min

Total 220 min

Recipe Scorecard

Overall 9.3 /10

Expert 4.9 95% conf.

Taste 9.8
Presentation 9.2
Nutrition 7.5
Value 9.0
Instructions 9.5
Ingredients 9.5
Time Accuracy 9.0
Difficulty 8.0
Would Make Again 8.8

Expert Review

Reviewed by FindEdition Kitchen

Verdict

An absolute masterpiece of French peasant cooking, packed with deep, harmonious flavors and incredible comfort.

Pros

Exceptional depth of flavor
Incredible texture contrast with crust
Hearty and warming

Cons

Requires significant preparation and cooking time

Overview

A slow-cooked French classic featuring tender beans, sausage, pork, and duck confit under a golden breadcrumb crust.

AI Insights

Summary

An authentic recipe for traditional French Cassoulet, highlighting slow-cooked white beans combined with rich duck confit, pork, and sausages under a crispy golden crust.

Tips

Do not stir the cassoulet once it is in the oven; instead, gently press the golden crust back down into the stew every 30 minutes
Cassoulet tastes even better when reheated the next day as the flavors meld together completely
Serve with a crisp green salad and a glass of robust French red wine to balance the richness