

Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
12 hrs 30 mins
Cassoulet, one of France’s most heralded and sublime dishes, is a formidable stew made of white beans, sausage, confit (usually duck), and pork. Originally peasant fare, it has evolved into a rich labor of love that multiple regions of France now claim as their own. It’s easy to see why—this is a dish to be proud of, one worthy of special occasions. Put it at the top of your list of comfort foods to tackle this winter—you won’t regret it.
Traditional cassoulet typically relies on duck confit, a preparation in which duck meat is cured and then slow-cooked in its own fat. While anything preserved in fat is A-okay by Team Delish, duck confit takes hours to prepare—and cassoulet already takes a good chunk of time on its own. Our version uses chicken instead but is still every bit as tender and perfect. If you’re a purist (or you can’t resist that duck flavor), you can always sear the chicken thighs and drumsticks in duck fat in step 4.
The real standout of this dish is the savory crust that forms on top after hours of slow baking. By breaking the crust every 30 minutes, you allow more liquid to rise to the top and form a new layer of crust, resulting in a deeply intense, thick layer by the end of bake time. Underneath, you’ll have fall-apart chicken and creamy, buttery beans. It does take some effort, but trust the process—it’s worth it.
This dish is best served straight from the oven, but you can prepare some of it ahead of time. Assemble it through step 7, then cover the pot and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Uncover it when you're ready to begin baking and continue with the recipe.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb.
dried cannellini beans
- 2 Tbsp.
kosher salt
- 8 cups
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1
large carrot, cut into 2" pieces
- 2
stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
- 6
sprigs thyme
- 2
bay leaves
- 8 oz.
pork belly
- 4 lb.
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 12 oz.
garlic sausage
- 1
medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp.
tomato paste
Directions
- Step 1In a large bowl, cover beans with water by 2", then stir in salt. Let soak at least 8 hours or up to 12. Drain and rinse beans.
- Step 2In a large pot over high heat, bring beans, broth, carrot, celery, thyme, and bay leaves to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until beans are just tender with a slight bite remaining, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain beans into a colander set over a large bowl, reserving liquid. Discard veggies and herbs. Return beans to pot; set aside.
- Step 3Arrange a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 325°. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook pork belly until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
- Step 4Pat chicken dry with paper towels; lightly season with salt and pepper. In same pot over medium-high heat, cook chicken in pork fat, turning occasionally, until skin is golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate with pork. In same pot over medium-high heat, cook sausage, turning occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate with pork belly and chicken. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.
- Step 5In same pot over medium heat, cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened, about 1 minute.
- Step 6Transfer onion mixture and pork belly to pot with beans and stir to combine. Scoop out half of beans mixture and transfer to Dutch oven. Layer sausages on top, then spoon remaining bean mixture over sausage. Nestle chicken into beans mixture. Pour reserved bean cooking liquid over until just covered.
- Step 7Transfer Dutch oven to oven and bake cassoulet 30 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gently break crust that forms on top, letting liquid rise to the top. Repeat 3 more times every 30 minutes, breaking the crust a total of 4 times. Continue to bake until the crust is deep golden brown, about 1 hour more. If beans start to look dry, add more water or broth as needed to cover by pouring down side of Dutch oven.
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