I have made cassoulet more times than is advisable—first in culinary school, once with a friend for a dinner party, and at least half a dozen times in the BA Test Kitchen. The famed French peasant dish of white beans, silky duck confit, and rich ragout topped with a golden breadcrumb crust can take three days and nearly half a dozen pork products to make. It’s an occasion to break out the biggest pot you own, and I can’t think of another recipe that’s more fun to share with family and friends. Our classic version takes no shortcuts and requires a little planning, but every step is totally doable, even if you’re not a pro.
First things first: As food director Carla Lalli Music advises, you can divide and conquer. Tag-team with your most ambitious cook friends. One makes the duck, another tackles the ragout and beans. Whoever has the biggest table hosts, and assembly is a group event. Then open a few of bottles of wine and hang out until it’s time to feast.
But if you’re delving in yourself, here’s how to break it down, with some tips and tricks along the way. Sure, you need to spread the work out over three days, but the active cooking time is something closer to three hours, and no step requires advanced techniques. Here’s how to do it.
Beans ready to cook.
One-Stop Shopping
Cassoulet requires a few ingredients you won’t find in the typical supermarket. Save yourself from searching all over town and head to D’Artagnan’s website, where you can order French Tarbais beans, precooked garlic sausage, and Moulard duck legs. Just don’t leave this for the last second.
Two Days Ahead
Soak the beans overnight.
Soaking beans before you cook them ensures a faster cooking time on the other end. Yes, there’s a shortcut we endorse, but you’ve already decided to make cassoulet, so you might as well do it the right way. Cover your Tarbais, corona, or cannellini beans with several inches of cold water and refrigerate overnight. (They may start to sprout or ferment if your kitchen is too warm.) Tarbais beans are traditional in this dish, prized for their thin-but-resilient skins and creamy texture. Authentic ones grow in France’s Tarbes region and can get pricey, but both corona and cannellini make fine substitutes.
