Ingredients
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50 g lardons or 50 g bacon, chopped into small dice
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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4 lean pork chops, cut into large pieces
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400 g tinned beans
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haricot beans or butter beans
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1 onion, peeled & diced
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4 carrots, peeled & diced into biggish chunks
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400 g chopped tomatoes
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400 ml chicken stock
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200 ml red wine
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1 teaspoon sugar
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2 garlic cloves (or more)
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50 g breadcrumbs
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1 bouquet garni
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450 g meaty sausages
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet - fry the bacon until nearly crisp & then add the onions, garlic, & carrots. Cook over a high heat until they are just soft on the outside & turning a golden colour. Drain well & remove from pan. Add to crock pot or Le Creuset casserole dish.
- Add sausages and brown - remove & add to onion mixture.
- Add pork chop pieces & brown - remove and add to above mixture.
- Make up chicken stock and add wine. Mix tomatoes in with stock & teaspoon of sugar.
- Pour stock and tomatoes over the cassoulet in crock pot or le creuset - add bouquet garni & give everything a good stir!
- Add the beans and stir well again.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and cook for up to 6 hours on high in crock pot or in le cresuet for 3 hours in a slow oven with the lid on, 150C/300°F.
- Half an hour before serving, take lid of le creuset to brown the top. 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.
- NOTE ON SAUSAGES:
- Try to 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%. Good quality English style sausages are also good - I have a recipe posted for some English sausages: Recipe #190045.
- However, any kind of sausage can be used and in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc.
- The Pork chops can be replaced with chicken pieces, lamb steaks or Confit D'Canard - preserved duck, if you are lucky enought to have some!