Cannellini bean cassoulet
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Cannellini bean cassoulet
‘This comforting one-pot dish is one of the great French classics from the south-west of France, combining just a handful of ingredients, including creamy cannellini beans and smoky bacon lardons. Make the cassoulet up to 2 days ahead, then chill and gently reheat before stirring in the fresh herbs.’
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Raymond Blanc
A self-taught chef from the Franche-Comté region of France, Raymond Blanc OBE is chef-patron of the world-famous Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, which has held two Michelin stars since 1985.
Raymond Blanc
A self-taught chef from the Franche-Comté region of France, Raymond Blanc OBE is chef-patron of the world-famous Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, which has held two Michelin stars since 1985.
Ingredients
- 1 x 160g pack smoked bacon lardons
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 3 x 400g tins cannellini beans
- 1 garlic clove, finely crushed
- ½ x 30g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
Step by step
-
Set a large dry saucepan over a medium-high heat, then add the bacon lardons and cook until they release their fat. When they start to caramelise slightly (about 3-5 minutes), stir in the onion, cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
-
Drain the beans in a colander set over a bowl, to reserve the liquid from the tin. Stir the garlic into the bacon and onion mixture, cook for 1 minute, then add the drained beans and enough of the reserved liquid to give a saucy coating consistency (about 200ml). Bring to a gentle simmer and season with a little salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until ready to serve, if necessary.
-
Stir in the chopped parsley just before you serve.
