Cheat's Cassoulet

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin oil or duck fat

2 chicken drumsticks

2 chicken thighs, bone in

4 good-quality pork and fennel sausages

200g piece of speck, cut into lardons

2 carrots, cut into 6 rounds 

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 x 400g cans white beans, drained and rinsed

100ml white wine

500ml chicken stock 

1 bouquet garni (a few sprigs of parsley, thyme and bay leaf)

Crunchy Topping

15g butter 

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 sprigs parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a large pot add oil over medium-high heat and seal off the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and remove. Add the sausage and seal off before placing them onto the plate with the chicken. In the same pot, sauté the speck, carrot, onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes before adding the tomato paste. Coat everything in the paste and then deglaze with wine. Add the stock, beans and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil and nestle the chicken and sausages in the pot.

Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes.

While the cassoulet is cooking, make the topping. Melt butter and a splash of oil into a pan and add the bread crumbs, toss to coat all over in the butter and cook, tossing regularly until golden and crispy. Now add the garlic and parsley and toss through to evenly distribute.

Portion the cassoulet and serve with a spoonful of crispy garlicky breadcrumbs.