Cassoulet in the Style of Toulouse

Name: Cassoulet in the Style of Toulouse (Cassoulet de Toulouse)
Yield: Serves 10 to 12
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: ½ pound ventrèche or pancetta, or blanched lean salt pork, in one piece, about 1¼ inches thick; 2 quarts unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade); 1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled, plus; 1 large plum tomato, peeled or 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste; 2 medium onions, chopped; ⅓ cup fat from confit or rendered duck fat; 2 pounds dried white beans, such as Tarbais, Lingots, or cannellini, rinsed and picked over to remove any grit; 4 small cloves garlic, peeled; 3 small carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds; Herb bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 imported bay leaf, and 3 small celery ribs tied together with string; ¼ pound fresh hard pork fat or blanched fat salt pork; 1 pound Toulouse sausages, fresh garlic-flavored pork sausages, or Confit of Toulouse Sausages; 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons French walnut oil; 6 confit of duck legs (such as Duck Legs Confit Cooked in a Pouch), drumsticks and thighs separated, or substitute 12 confit of duck wings; Salt and freshly ground pepper; ¾ pound fresh pork skin with¼-inch layer of hard fat attached; 1½ pounds fresh ham hock or pig’s knuckles, cracked by the butcher; 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 12 chunks

Cassoulet de Toulouse

Preparation info

Serves
10 to 12

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

The Cooking of South West France

By Paula Wolfert

Published 1987

About

This is the recipe given to me by Pierrette Lejanou. The addition of walnut oil at the last moment brightens the taste of the beans.

Begin preparations two days before you plan to serve the cassoulet.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 12 chunks
1½ pounds fresh ham hock or pig’s knuckles, cracked by the

Europe
France
Main course

Method

Two days in advance, season the pork shoulder, fresh ham hock or pig’s knuckles, and the pork skin moderately with salt and pepper. Place in an earthenware or glass dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover by at least 2 inches.
The following day, simmer the pork skin in water to cover until it is supple, 10 to 20 mi