Cassoulet

 300g dried haricot or cannellini beans, soaked overnight.

1 small duck (cut off breast and legs and cut into 8 pieces. Use carcass to make stock)

4 good sized tasty sausages (Toulouse or similar)

2 medium sized onions or 6 shallots (peeled and cut into bite sized chunks)

2 carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)

4 cloves garlic

Bayleaf

Thyme / sage / rosemary ( a few sprigs of one or all)

6 juniper berries

Salt to taste

2 oz butter

2 tbs chopped parsley

1 tsp french mustard

1. Make stock with the carcass (optional)
2. Brown the duck portions. quickly (you should not need any fat for this, start with the skin side). Remove from pan
3. Add the onions, carrots and 2 cloves of garlic roughly sliced.
4. Brown quickly.
5. Add some stock to deglaze.
6. In a large casserole dish add duck, soaked and drained beans, onion, carrots and fried garlic, herbs and juniper berries. Do not add the salt as this will prevent the beans from cooking properly.
7. Cover the ingredients in the casserole dish with duck stock or water and then add more liquid to about 3cm above the ingredients (do not use a stock with salt).
8. Cover the casserole dish and place in a preheated medium/low oven for 2 – 3 hours, until the beans are soft.
9. Brown the sausages, add to the duck and beans, top up with more liquid if looking dry and cook for a further 30 minutes.
10. Chop the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and mix with butter, chopped parsley and mustard.
11. After the cassoulet is cooked, remove from oven and stir in the butter mixture just before serving . Taste and add salt if necessary.
    
    This is delicious served with crusty granary or sour dough bread and a glass of red wine!

Instead of  duck you can use chicken or belly pork. If using chicken, add it 1 hour before the end of cooking. Use any tasty sausage you fancy.