French chef and television personality Manu Feildel has unveiled a quick and easy cassoulet recipe designed to bring the warmth of French cuisine to Australian kitchens this winter. The hearty dish, which can be prepared in under 30 minutes, features a combination of sausages, cannellini beans, and crispy breadcrumbs, making it an ideal family meal for cold evenings.
Cookware Collaboration with Spotlight
The recipe is part of Feildel's new Culinary Co by Manu range of cast iron cookware, available exclusively through Spotlight. The line includes a sauté pan and small frying pans, which Feildel uses to prepare the cassoulet. According to the chef, the heavy-duty cookware ensures even heat distribution and helps achieve the perfect golden crust on the breadcrumb topping.
Ingredients and Preparation
To serve two, the recipe requires 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 150g of speck bacon, one Polish sausage (about 150g) thickly sliced, two Toulouse pork sausages, one small brown onion finely chopped, two garlic cloves finely chopped, one small carrot chopped, one tablespoon of tomato paste, two 400g cans of cannellini beans drained and rinsed, 300ml of chicken stock, two fresh bay leaves, eight fresh thyme sprigs, salt and pepper to taste, half a cup of fresh breadcrumbs, and extra fresh thyme leaves for garnish.
The method begins by preheating the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Half the oil is heated in the cast iron sauté pan over medium-high heat, then the speck and sausages are added and cooked until golden. After removing them, the remaining oil is used to sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic until softened. Tomato paste is stirred in and cooked for a minute before adding the beans, stock, bay leaves, and thyme. The mixture simmers for three to four minutes until slightly thickened.
Baking and Serving
The bean mixture is divided between two small cast iron frying pans, topped with the bacon and sausages, sprinkled with breadcrumbs, and drizzled with extra oil. The pans are baked for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden brown. After removing from the oven, the cassoulet rests for five minutes, then is garnished with fresh thyme leaves.
Feildel emphasises that the dish is flexible, allowing home cooks to substitute different sausages or add extra vegetables. The recipe is designed to be both accessible and authentic, capturing the essence of traditional French cassoulet without requiring hours of slow cooking.
