A picture of cooked cassoulet in a black casserole showing sausages, beans, bay leaves and tomatoes

Poor Man's Cassoulet

2 hours

Serves 4-6. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see questions Lindsey has answered on this recipe

This recipe is from The Delia Collection: Pork.

This is a modern version of an original recipe that appeared in my book Frugal Food and I suppose whilst it lacks sophisticated ingredients like preserved goose it's still very much on the theme of the original.

This is very rich and hefty, so a green salad is all it needs to go with it.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to prepare garlic in our video. Just click the image to play.

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Ask a Question

Can you make Poor Man's Cassoulet in advance?

Asked by: lynne24

Hi Lindsey, Can I make Poor Man's cassoulet in advance please? Many thanks

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Yes this recipe can be made in advance without the breadcrumbs. Re-heat in the oven with the breadcrumbs before serving. Best wishes Lindsey

Using up the extra beans

Asked by: DaniCJ

Hi - I wanted to make poor mans' causolet from Frugal foods but bought canned beans instead of dried. Can this recipe be adapted to use canned beans and if so how? If not any suggestions on how I can use up two tins of haricot beans/

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Drained and rinsed with cold water they are useful for adding to cooked soups, a salad with a strong garlic and herb dressing or you could make one of these… Kind regards Lindsey

Freezing Poor Mans Stroganoff

Asked by: deborah77

Hi, Poor mans stroganoff with wild mushrooms. Can I freeze this recipe? Thanks.

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, You can freeze it without the crème fraiche. Cook, cool and freeze in a lidded container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, re-heat gently then stir in the crème fraiche and continue to heat until it’s hot without boiling. Kind regards Lindsey

Method

Ideally, you need to start the cassoulet the night before you want to make it by rinsing the dried cannellini beans in a sieve under cold water, then placing them in a bowl with 3 pints (1.75 litres) of cold water to soak overnight.

If you are short of time, put the beans in a saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water, bring them to the boil and give them about 10 minutes cooking before turning the heat off and leaving them to soak for 2 hours. Either way, after soaking, drain the beans in a colander.

Then, in the flameproof casserole, heat the oil over a medium heat and brown the sausages, turning them occasionally because they need to be a nice golden brown colour on all sides – this will take 7-8 minutes. After that, remove them to a plate, then add the pancetta to the casserole, turning the heat up and tossing it around for 5 minutes, until it's golden at the edges. Now using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to join the sausages. Turn the heat down to medium, then in the juices left in the pan, soften the onions for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.

After that, toss in the garlic and cook for another minute, then transfer the onion and garlic to another plate. Next put a third of the beans into the casserole followed by half the onions, sprinkle with a third of the fresh thyme leaves and season well with salt and pepper, then add half the sausages and pancetta, followed by a third more beans, thyme and seasoning, then the remaining sausages, pancetta and onions and finally, the rest of the beans and the remaining thyme, pushing sprigs of thyme and bay leaves in amongst everything.

Now measure 1½ pints (850 ml) of boiling water, whisk in the tomato purée and pour this over the beans, cover with a lid and bake on the oven's centre shelf for 2 hours. Then take the lid off, sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top and bake (without a lid) for a further hour until the beans are completely cooked through.

Cooking at Gas Mark 1