Cassoulet

As with everything there are a  billion recipes for cassoulet out there. I started with a Rick Stein  from his french experience) but on reflection it was a little too simple so have selected a Jamie Oliver ( http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/quick-time-sausage-cassoulet ) - with a few twists - .

This one looks more interesting with a few more layers of flavour.....off to shop.

2 handfuls of dried porcini mushrooms
( cut up a bit )
8 or so rashers dry cured streaky bacon
olive oil ( don't be too precious here )
couple sprigs fresh rosemary
couple sprigs fresh thyme
couple bay leaves
few sprigs sage
2 onions chopped roughly
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 large carrot peeled and chopped
half a chopped celery heart
half a bottle red wine
3 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g tins cannellini or borlotti beans drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
24 chipolata or 16 fat sausages

Preheat oven to 200 degreesC/400 degreesF/Gas mark6
Put mushrooms into a bowl with 1 pint boiling water to soak until soft.
Heat a large roasting tray on the hob. Slice bacon into strips. Fry in 4 tablespoons
of olive oil until crispy and golden. Tie herbage into a bundle with string pop into
bacon.
Pop in onion, carrot, garlic and celery.Drain mushrooms saving juice.
Add mushrooms to the pan and fry mixture gently for about 5 mins.
Add the red wine and simmer until liquid reduced by about half.
Add tinned toms to the pan then add porcini liquid and beans.
Bring  to boil and simmer for 15 mins.Season and pop in sausages on top.
Place in oven for about 40 mins.Remove herbs and serve.

I have made a couple of changes to this recipe, I found that the herbs were a little overwhelming, so would
add fewer of these next time, I will leave out the bread next time cos it just tasted sloppy - yuk- and I added in a couple of confit duck legs ( meat stripped of the bone and added with the sausages ) as I was going to make a more traditional recipe in the first place.
I served it with green salad and some cheesy jalapeno scones.

Debs