Cassoulet (Mixed Meat and Bean Casserole)

Ingredients

Serves 8

1kg dried white beans
200 g bacon rind, chopped
300g fatty bacon, chopped
4 portions of duck or goose confit (or alternatively 2 duck thighs and 4-5 tablespoons of lard)
40cm fresh pork sausage, sliced into 2cm chunks
750g pork shoulder or shin
3 cloves garlic
1 bouquet garni
1 onion, spiked with 2 cloves
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Soak the beans over night, drain and place into large saucepan.
2. Pre heat oven to 160 c.
   
3. Cover beans with cold water and boil for five minutes.
4. Drain the beans, then tip back into the saucepan and cover again with warm water.
5. Add the bacon rind, bacon, garlic, bouquet garni, onion and season with salt and pepper.
6. Cook for an hour on a very low simmer.
7. Take out confit meat and put to one side, then melt confit fat in a separate pan.
8. Add chopped pork, season with salt and pepper and brown.
   
9. Remove pork to one side and brown sausage.
   
10. Reserve the cooked confit oil.
    
11. Tip beans, onion, garlic and bouquet garni, along with cooking liquid, into a large oven proof dish.
12. Place a layer of the confit and pork, then a layer of beans, then add the remaining meat, excluding the sausage.
13. Top with the sausage pieces and pour in the cooked confit oil.
14. Cook in oven for one hour.