French Cassoulet in Instant pot

Ingredients

	800 g of white cannellini beans (2 cans)
	2 duck confit legs*
	* Substitute 3 chicken legs for the duck confit for a lower fat version
	4 large sliced sausages (eg. saucisse de Toulouse)
	1 medium-sized white onion
	35 g of canned tomato purée (3/4 cup)
	2 pork bellies strips chopped into cubes

Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:

	1 tablespoon of olive oil
	2-3 sprigs of thyme
	1 bay leaf
	2-3 cloves of chopped garlic or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
	Salt and pepper

Accents for the sauce:

	4 cups of chicken stock
	Handful of seasoned or garlic breadcrumbs (or croutons)
	2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour for the slurry

How to make cassoulet

1. Sauté the sausages, pork belly, and duck confit in the Instant Pot with a drizzle of olive oil for about 5 minutes, turning them to brown on all sides.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (except the breadcrumbs and croutons), stirring to combine and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Seal and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes, then allow a natural release so the beans and meats stay tender.
4. Prepare a flour slurry (flour mixed with a little water until smooth) and stir it into the cassoulet once the pressure has dropped.
5. Simmer using the Sauté function, stirring well until the stew thickens slightly and becomes rich and cohesive.
6. Optional oven bake: Transfer the cassoulet to oven-safe individual bowls or a baking dish, sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes until the top forms a golden crust.
7. Serve warm and hearty.

If you are not sure what a French cassoulet is, basically it is a hearty dish, consisting of copious amounts of sausages, meat, and beans. But the traditional cassoulet recipe takes ages and ages.

Traditionally in France, the recipe involves the beans have to soak overnight, and it takes at least 24 hours to make a duck confit. Luckily for us, these days we have the Instant Pot, and can simply buy a duck confit.

With a few “basic” conveniences, we can actually cook a delicious French cassoulet today in less than an hour. Technology! This classic meat recipe is now accessible as a weeknight dinner for working families and people short on time.

The dish dates back to the mid-1300s from Castelnaudary in south-west France, about 40minutes away from the famous tourist town of Carcassonne. (The Carcassonne version of cassoulet adds partridge meat to the recipe, but that might be a bit more difficult to find!)

At the time, the Hundred Years’ War between France and England was in full force. Legend has it that the dish was born during the siege of Castelnaudary by the Black Prince, Edward the Prince of Wales, in 1355. With food running out, the residents of Castelnaudary gathered all the food they could to make a giant stew to feed their soldiers.

It worked, and the city was eventually able to drive out the English. With such success, it is no wonder that Cassoulet remains a popular dish in France.

The word cassoulet comes from the earthenware casserole it is cooked in, the cassolle or cassolo, which is made by local potteries nearby.

Aficionados of the cassoulet will note however that is a “guerre des cassoulet” (meaning “war of the cassoulet”) between Castelnaudary, Carcassone and Toulouse.

Each has its own variation, with differences between the sausage used, how long it is cooked and more. Each year cook-offs are usually held to see who takes home top prize with bragging rights.

Now, we won’t try to enter into any competitions, but we can still make a hearty cassoulet at home that the whole family will love.

Traditional version

The traditional Cassoulet recipe uses either a bean called coco de pamiers, or the Tarbais. However, neither one of these beans is the easiest to find, even in France! So we will stick to the regular white cannellini beans, which do just as well in the recipe and are easy to find in a can.

There are also quite a variety of pork products added into the recipe, from sausages to pork bellies. In terms of what sausages, use fresh sausages such as the saucisse de Toulouse or diots de Savoie.

Now only the heartiest of French chefs attempt to make duck confit themselves. This is something that you can easily buy at a fine boucherie (butcher shop) or Whole Foods.

With the duck confit also including duck fat, I confess it is not the healthiest of recipes. But everything in moderation, as they say! If you do decide to eliminate the duck confit and use chicken legs instead, I promise I won’t tell anyone.

☞ READ MORE: Classic French Recipes remade in the Instant Pot

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What to serve with a cassoulet?

What drinks to serve with it?

« Un cassoulet sans vin, c’est comme un curé sans latin. »

“A Cassoulet without wine, is like a priest without latin.” by Pierre Desproges

How to store it?