Many cultures have a pork and bean dish, and in France, that dish is cassoulet. At its core, cassoulet is peasant food—traditionally made by working-class French families using whatever meat scraps they had on hand. While some of its ingredients are now considered pricey, it was once a humble, practical dish built around staples like beans, vegetables, and duck confit, which was often stored in cellars for the winter months. Cassoulet is one of my favorites. It takes time, but it’s not difficult to make. While we might not have the same free time as people did before electricity, it’s worth the effort. Make it once, and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.
Recipe: https://www.adamwitt.co/allrecipes/z68a5tgnm8njf6j-hfxcw-k78ex-x49as-tc9dx-b8jff-f3mn6-e4t8a-l35wt-gwttg-l652p-5msm9-262fp-g3748-mccje-nlj4y
CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROCERY FUND! (Patreon): https://www.patreon.com/adamwitt
FOLLOW ALONG ON SOCIAL: https://www.adamwitt.co/social-links
DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/aFQ4h4BXg4
RECIPES: https://www.adamwitt.co/allrecipes
________________________________________________________
STUFF I USE…
My Cookware Set: https://amzn.to/3vaWhbG
My Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/48MKuhq
Portable Single-burner Stove: https://amzn.to/3IytyjV
Butane Torch: https://amzn.to/48TkQra
Deli Containers: https://amzn.to/49QO635
Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth): https://amzn.to/49QO635
Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids: https://amzn.to/49QWlfy
Butane Canisters: https://amzn.to/3wLUtpM
Coarse Reinforced Strainer: https://amzn.to/3PePLHK
Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer: https://amzn.to/3TxvkYP
Sheet Trays: https://amzn.to/3IG3zXL
The BEST Smash Burger Spatula: https://amzn.to/3UdSHab
Cutting Board Scraper: https://amzn.to/3Jy64fx
Ice Cream Maker: https://amzn.to/3wd2vIu
My Induction Burner: https://amzn.to/4dfhJNE
________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS…
(0:00) My Cassoulet Journey
(2:11) The Beans
(2:56) Other Ingredients
(3:42) Cooking
(5:07) The Duck Confit
(7:37) Cooking
(9:14) Additional Meats
(12:05) Building the Cassoulet
(13:59) Cooking
(16:18) Serving
(18:00) Taste Test
(19:58) Thanks for Watching!
________________________________________________________
#cassoulet #frenchfood #recipe
Disclaimer: I earn commission income with qualifying purchases made through Amazon’s Affiliate program and other affiliate links in this description.
21 Comments
You buy duckfat by the bucket? That's quack-head behavior.
The duck serves only to garnish the most lavishly pork laden pot of baked beans I ever dreamed possible.
I miss cooking for my wife of 23 years and 17yo daughter…
I was happiest in my kitchen!
Shoulda shaved that skin on that slab of pork dude. Gross.
French food is my favorite, and your cassoulet looks like perfection. Thanks for doing this!
As a man with a family and civil servant salary, this would be a once in a year dish. Can totally understand why this didn't take off with the other peasant dishes outside of France
The history of this dish comes from a seige. A city was beseiged. They had some supplies but they would soon run out of food. So instead of facing a slow death by disease and starvation, they pooled all the food they had left. Beans, sausages, duck leg quarters, various bits of almost rancid pork were all put in a big pot and cooked. The defenders ate their fill and everyone feasted.
The next day they flung open the city gates. The defenders ran out an attacked the besieging troops. Catching them off guard they kicked ass and saved their town.
A local restaurant was testing cassoulet as a potential meal kit option a while back and after trying it I became obsessed. This was back in late January. After weeks of research, including the other video on the channel, I finally made it in late February. It's an amazing dish and making it with the duck confit was such a learning experience but it has become a favorite dish of mine too. Also the local restaurant started selling their take and bake cassoulet kits this month so I have had it a couple more times, including tonight. Really good stuff and the vinegar tip is such a good idea. This is such a good dish.
If the Internet turns young nerds onto cassoulet, it will all have been worth it
My dad went down the cassoulet rabbit hole when I was growing up. What a great ride to go along for. He went to France one time and came back and made cassoulet most Sundays for months trying to perfect it. My favorite part was the duck confits for sure.
Lol "globules" is a word! Globs is the short form.
Food Porn
In awe at the amount of duckfat you liberally dollop, costs way to much here to fill a pot like that
In the UK, you have about as much chance of getting duck legs that size as you have finding a wild emu 🤣
2:40 bean shaming
How does all the fat not just float on the water?
I always want to make cassoulet, but I don't have a lifetime to get it right.
Safe Journey!
Have a great day!!!
I APPROVE ! Magnificent Cassoulet that you've just prepared before our eyes and that the "Knights of the Great Brotherhood of Cassoulet of Castenaudary", with their hats resembling the dish in which it's simmered, would not have disowned ! (If one day you return to south West of France, I'm sure that it would be an honor for them to induct you "Knight of Cassoulet" in this same costume…) The only small criticism I would make of your recipe is the piece of bacon that I find much too fatty for my taste. Besides it's almost impossible to find similar ones here, especially with so little meat and almost only fat ! Another detail that I noted in your recipe, although perfect, is the absence of fine breadcrumbs '("Chapelure" in French…) which normally should cover the entire final dish in order to brown it. However you manage to obtain the same result without breadcrumbs. But perhaps we don't put them on all recipes ? (Perhaps it all depends on the city and the region ?) In any case a French chef couldn't have done better than you in your video ! Congratulations Adam and best wishes from a 67-year-old Parisian, a fan of this dish since childhood… 👍🇫🇷 😋🇺🇸
https://www.confrerieducassoulet.com/les-chevaliers.html
Great stuff mate and congrats on the proposal. Also since you like stew/casseroles, how about making a Jewish Cholent next. Some say that and Cassoulet have shared history.
At 1:50 you can see how the texture of Cannelés is supposed to be different from his. (Not dense)