Easy French Style Cassoulet

Serves	4
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	3 hours
Total time	3 hours, 30 minutes
Region	French
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

NOTE ON SAUSAGES: Try to use very good quality high meat content sausages; in France Toulouse sausages are mainly used - they generally have a meat content of at least 85%. Good quality English style sausages are also good. However, any kind of sausage can be used and in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc. The Pork chops can be replaced with chicken pieces, lamb steaks or Confit D'Canard - preserved duck, if you are lucky enough to have some.

Ingredients

50g smoked lardons or streaky bacon, chopped into small dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
450g meaty sausages, preferably pork
4 lean pork chops, cut into large pieces
400g tinned beans, such as cannellini beans, navy beans, mixed beans, white haricot beans or butter beans (drained)
2 onions, peeled & diced
2 carrots, peeled & cut into biggish chunks
400g chopped tomatoes
400ml chicken stock
200ml red wine
1 teaspoon sugar
2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
50g breadcrumbs (fresh are best)
1 bouquet garni

Note

NOTE ON SAUSAGES: Try to use good quality high meat content sausages; in France Toulouse sausages are mainly used - they generally have a meat content of at least 85%. Good quality English style sausages are also good. However, any kind of sausage can be used and in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc. The Pork chops can be replaced with chicken pieces, lamb chops or Confit D'Canard - preserved duck, if you are lucky enough to have some.

Directions

Step 1	Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the lardons/bacon until nearly crisp & then add the onions, garlic, & carrots. Cook over a high heat until they are just soft on the outside & turning a golden colour. Drain well & remove from pan. Add to a slow cooker (crock pot) or Le Creuset casserole dish.
Step 2	Add sausages to the frying pan and brown then remove & add to onion mixture in the slow cooker/casserole dish. Then add the pork chop pieces and do the same, removing when browned.
Step 3	Make up the chicken stock and add wine. Add the chopped tomatoes to the stock with a teaspoon of sugar. Pour the stock and tomatoes over the meat and onion mixture in the slow cooker/le creuset, then add the bouquet garni & give everything a good stir. Add the beans and stir well again. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and cook for up to 6 hours on high in a slow cooker or in a le creuset casserole dish for 3 hours in a slow oven with the lid on, 150C/300°F.
Step 4	Half an hour before serving, take lid of le creuset to brown the top. It's difficult to brown in a slow cooker, but it's not that essential to brown the top, as the reason behind the breadcrumbs is to soak up some of the juice & make a crust on top. If your slow cooker is the type which you can put under the grill, then do so. Serve with mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes & stir-fried Savoy Cabbage.