Cassoulet

Serves: to serve 4 - 6

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours

Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins

4 - duck legs (including thighs)

1 lb - lean lamb (or pork loin)

4 - pork sausages (Toulouse sausages if you can get them)

2 - onions

2 sticks - celery

4 cloves - garlic

1 tablespoon - duck fat

1 tablespoon - plain flour (all purpose flour)

2 tablespoons - tomato purée (tomato paste)

1 lb - peeled tomatoes

1 cup - white wine

1 teaspoon - fresh thyme leaves

2 - bay leaves

2 - cloves

- salt and pepper

1 lb - cannellini beans

In Preparation... Cut the duck legs at the joint between the leg and the thigh. Remove the meat from the leg and set aside (leave the thighs intact). Trim any excess fat off the lamb (or pork) and chop into ¾" (2cm) cubes. Peel and chop the onions. Peel and crush (mince) the garlic. Finely chop the celery. Peel and deseed the tomatoes then roughly chop them (If you prefer, you can use tinned tomatoes with the juice drained off).
Heat the duck fat in large frying pan (skillet) and quickly cook the duck thighs until brown. Remove and set aside. Cook the lamb (or pork) until brown. Remove and set aside. Cook the sausages until brown. Remove and set aside. This should be done in very hot fat, just to brown the meat, not to cook it. Don't be tempted to try and add all the meat at once. It will take twice as long to brown and will cook the meat instead of just browning it.
Turn down the heat, add the chopped onions to the remaining fat in pan and cook slowly until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and the chopped celery, stir for 1 minute then remove.
Pour away any surplus fat then sprinkle flour over the base of the pan. Add the peeled and chopped tomatoes, the tomato purée (tomato paste) and the wine; stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Add thyme, bay leaves, cloves, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Place ALL the ingredients (that includes the cannellini beans) into a casserole dish then add enough water to just cover the beans (If you have used tinned tomatoes, you can add the tomato juice instead). Cover and cook gently (simmer) until the beans are tender (about 1 to 1½ hours). After 45 minutes check to see if it needs more water, and add some if necessary. Serve hot and be aware that you may want your own bedroom afterwards! I’m just saying!