Sausage Cassoulet Recipes

SAUSAGE CASSOULET

Steps:

• Set the slow cooker to low (ours had a 5-litre capacity). Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and brown the sausages on each side - you don't have to cook them all the way through. Set aside on a plate. Put the lardons, onion and celery in the pan and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until the onion is translucent and the lardons crisp. Stir in the garlic, paprika and thyme, and fry for 3 mins.
• Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, around 5-10 mins. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, stock, both lots of beans, the sugar and vinegar. Stir until combined and bring to the boil. Pour into the slow cooker with the sausages. Cover and cook for 6-8 hrs. Serve with crusty bread.

SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN "CASSOULET"

Steps:

• In a medium skillet cook sausages in oil over moderate heat, turning them, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes, and transfer to paper towels to drain.
• In fat remaining in skillet cook onions and garlic, stirring, until golden, and stir in herbs (including bay leaf), scallions or parsley, tomatoes with juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil mixture, stirring, 5 minutes. Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add sausage and beans to tomato mixture and cook, stirring, until heated through. Discard bay leaf and keep "cassoulet" warm, covered.
• Make topping:
• In a small skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté bread until pale golden. Stir in garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste and sauté, stirring, 1 minute.
• Transfer "cassoulet" to a 1-quart serving dish and cover evenly with topping.

TOULOUSE SAUSAGE CASSOULET

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan, add the chopped onions, carrots, 3 of the garlic cloves, tomatoes, bouquet garni and some salt and pepper. Cook over a gentle heat for 5 mins, then stir in the beans, wine and 200ml water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. In a large frying pan, add the remaining olive oil over a medium heat and brown the sausages all over.
• Rub the inside of a casserole dish or baking dish with the remaining garlic clove. Pour in half the bean mix, arrange the sausages on top, then finish with another layer of beans. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 45 mins. While it cooks, blitz the bread in a food processor to make breadcrumbs.
• Remove the casserole dish from the oven, discard the foil and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 mins until the breadcrumbs are golden and crusty. Serve with a crisp green salad.

CASSOULET WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Make the beans: Put the beans in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand 1 hour, then drain. Stick the whole cloves into the onion halves; add to the pot along with the carrots, celery and pancetta. Wrap the thyme, parsley and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine and add to the pot; cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add 1 teaspoon salt.
• Nestle the sausage in the beans; add water to cover, if necessary. Add the garlic heads, cut-side down. Cover and cook until the beans are just tender but still hold their shape, turning the sausage halfway through, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and let cool to room temperature; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the meat: Toss the lamb in a bowl with the sugar, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, cayenne, 1 tablespoon each olive oil and salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the lamb until browned, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Add the pancetta to the pot; cook, stirring, until the fat renders, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, porcinis and orange zest, then return the lamb to the pot. Cut out a round of parchment paper and put directly on the surface of the meat. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid and cook until the lamb is tender, about 2 hours. (Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Skim off any fat from the bean and lamb mixtures. Remove the sausage and garlic heads from the beans. Slice the sausage into pieces and squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins; set aside. Discard the herb sachet, carrots, celery and onion halves from the beans. Discard the orange zest from the lamb.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half of the beans to a large Dutch oven and top with the lamb (just the beans and lamb, not the liquid). Add the sliced sausage and garlic cloves, then the remaining beans. Pour in all the liquid from the lamb mixture. Add enough of the bean cooking liquid to cover, if necessary.
• Put the Dutch oven over medium-low heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, uncovered, about 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pulse the bread in a food processor to make coarse crumbs. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle on the cassoulet, transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.