Respectfully but this is not a real cassoulet. Apperantly the French
decreed in 1966 that the proper cassoulet should have at least 30%
pork, mutton or preserved goose and 70% navy beans, stock, fresh pork
rinds and herbs. It so happens that cassoulette was on my mind this
week too. I cooked the following which turned out great
(From the Larousse Gastronomique - see your other sources for more
detail)
First you need a large earthenware dish. I have four individual
earthenware pots which worked just fine. I found mine in a Spanish
deli-shop but I've seen them in many places.
You need (modified for 4 - read vandalized):
3 cups of navy beans
4 oz pork fat (I used salted pork with the rind)
4 oz fresh pound pork rind (see above)
bouquet garni (2)
1 pound pork shoulder
1/2 pound lamb
2 large chopped onions
1 carrot
Saussages (no amount specified, I used 5 pieces of bratwurst)
To Prepare:
1. Soak the beans in a pot of cold water for a few hours. Drain and add
the pork fat and rind, carrot, 1 onion and enough water for the beans
to swim. Simmer gently
2. Brown the pork and lamb well. Add them to a pot with the other
onion, bouquet and 2 garlic cloves. Cover and cook.
3. When the beans are almost cooked (no time specified so a little
tricky) remove the vegetables (who needs those) and add the pork and
lamb (from the other pot) and sausage. Cook for another hour.
4. Remove all meats and beans and drain. Cut in pieces (the meat not
the beans).
5. Line the earthenware first with the rind, then beans, meats, beans
again and finally fat. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and some of the fat.
6. Cook gently in the oven (I used 280F) for about 1.5 hours. Serve in
the earthware
No guarantees but I liked it quite a bit. It helps to cross reference
with other more detailed recipies for the cooking times and
temperatures.
