cannellini or navy beans or mixed beans or haricot beans or butter beans .
50 g breadcrumbs .
450 g meaty sausages .
200 ml red wine .
4 carrots, peeled & sliced into biggish chunks .
1 bouquet garni .
400F g sliced tomatoes .
50 g lardons or bacon, sliced into small dice .
1 onion, peeled & sliced .
400F ml chicken stock .
400F g beans
Directions
Step #1 Heat olive oil In a large-ish skillet - fry the bacon until nearly crisp & then add the onions, garlic, & carrots.
Step #2 Cook over a high heat until they are just soft on the outside & turning a golden colour.
Step #3 Drain well & remove this from pan.
Step #4 Add to crock pot or Le Creuset casserole dish.
Step #5 Add sausages & brown - remove & add to onion mixture.
Step #6 Add pork chop pieces & brown - remove & add to above mixture.
Step #7 Make up chicken stock & add wine.
Step #8 Mix tomatoes in with stock & tsp of sugar.
Step #9 Pour stock & tomatoes over the cassoulet in crock pot or le creuset - add bouquet garni & give everything a good stir!
Add the beans & stir well again.
Step #10 Sprinkle top breadcrumbs on top & cook for up to 6 hrs on high in crock pot or in le cresuet for 3 hrs in a slow oven with the lid on, 150C/300°F.
Step #11 Half an hr before serving, take lid of le creuset to brown the top.
Step #12 It's difficult to brown in a crock pot, 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 crock pot is the type which you can put under the grill, then do so!
Serve with mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes & stir-fried Savoy Cabbage.
Step #13 NOTE ON SAUSAGES:.
Step #14 Try & 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%.
Step #15 Good quality English style sausages are also good - I have a recipe posted for some English sausages: Recipe #190045.
Step #16 But any kind of sausage can be used & in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc.
Enjoy the Cheat's French Cassoulet - Crock Pot or Le Creuset recipe