French Cassoulet Beans
A rustic, soul-warming French classic featuring tender white beans slow-cooked with savory aromatics and rich, smoky meats.
Ingredients
- •1 lb (450g) dried Cannellini or Great Northern beans, soaked overnight
- •2 tablespoons duck fat or olive oil
- •4 links (approx. 300g) Toulouse or high-quality garlic pork sausage, sliced
- •200g slab bacon or pancetta, diced
- •1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- •3 cloves garlic, minced
- •2 tablespoons tomato paste
- •4 cups (1 liter) chicken or duck stock
- •2 sprigs fresh thyme
- •1 bay leaf
- •1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- •Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- 2
In a large heavy-bottomed oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, brown the sausage and bacon over medium heat until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- 3
In the same pot, sauté the onion in the rendered fat until translucent, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- 4
Add the soaked and drained beans to the pot, stirring to coat them in the aromatics.
- 5
Pour in the stock until the beans are just covered, add the thyme and bay leaf, and return the cooked meats to the pot.
- 6
Bring to a gentle simmer on the stove, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven for 90 minutes.
- 7
Remove the lid, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top, and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the liquid is reduced to a thick, syrupy consistency and the crust is golden brown.
- 8
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
💡 Chef tips
- For a deeper flavor, use duck confit legs instead of bacon if available.
- If the liquid evaporates too quickly, add a splash more warm stock during the final 30 minutes of baking.
- This dish tastes even better the next day, as the flavors continue to meld in the refrigerator.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished dish should have a rich, golden-crusted top with creamy, tender beans swimming in a deeply savory, aromatic sauce that smells of garlic, thyme, and smoky pork.