Cassoulet (Sausage and Bean Stew)
When the weather is a bit meh, I often find a big warm bowl of something delicious can really lift the mood. My take on the French classic uses bacon and pork sausages together with butter beans in a rich red wine gravy.
This dish was a product of some sausages we had leftover from a barbecue, which gave a lovely smokey back note to the dish. Don't worry if you don't have barbecued sausages though, I suggest you use smoked paprika instead of regular to amp the flavour up. I served my stew simply with hunks of bread slathered in good quality butter but you could enjoy this with jacket potatoes, rice or even pasta.
Cassoulet (Sausage and Bean Stew)
Serves 6
oil
3 rashers bacon, finely chopped
10 large sausages, at least 85% meat
2 onions, halved and sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml red wine (or stock)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
400g can butter beans in water, drained and rinsed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brush a large non-stick frying pan with some of the oil, using the tip of a pastry brush. Add the sausages to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning every now and then until nicely browned on all sides. Remove to one side until cool enough to touch and then chop into 1 inch chunks.
Put a large casserole pot or saucepan over a medium heat. Drizzle in a little oil and then add the bacon. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until starting to colour. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook 8-10 minutes, covered with a lid. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and contine to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the tomato purée, turn up the heat and stir through for 2 minutes. Add the red wine and allow to bubble away until reduced by half. Pour in the tin of tomatoes, refill the empty can with water and pour that in too. Put the chopped sausages into the pot, sprinkle over the caster sugar and chilli flakes, stir in the bay leaf, oregano and paprika and season with lots of ground black pepper.
Bring the cassoulet to a simmer on the hob, then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes then stir in the beans. Cover with the lid again and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Season to taste and then serve.
This dish was a product of some sausages we had leftover from a barbecue, which gave a lovely smokey back note to the dish. Don't worry if you don't have barbecued sausages though, I suggest you use smoked paprika instead of regular to amp the flavour up. I served my stew simply with hunks of bread slathered in good quality butter but you could enjoy this with jacket potatoes, rice or even pasta.
Cassoulet (Sausage and Bean Stew)
Serves 6
3 rashers bacon, finely chopped
10 large sausages, at least 85% meat
2 onions, halved and sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml red wine (or stock)
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
400g can butter beans in water, drained and rinsed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brush a large non-stick frying pan with some of the oil, using the tip of a pastry brush. Add the sausages to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, turning every now and then until nicely browned on all sides. Remove to one side until cool enough to touch and then chop into 1 inch chunks.
Put a large casserole pot or saucepan over a medium heat. Drizzle in a little oil and then add the bacon. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until starting to colour. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook 8-10 minutes, covered with a lid. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and contine to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the tomato purée, turn up the heat and stir through for 2 minutes. Add the red wine and allow to bubble away until reduced by half. Pour in the tin of tomatoes, refill the empty can with water and pour that in too. Put the chopped sausages into the pot, sprinkle over the caster sugar and chilli flakes, stir in the bay leaf, oregano and paprika and season with lots of ground black pepper.
Bring the cassoulet to a simmer on the hob, then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes then stir in the beans. Cover with the lid again and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Season to taste and then serve.
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