Cassoulet

Serves 6

400g dried haricot beans
bouquet garni
1/2 large onion, cut in quarters
2 garlic cloves, crushed
225g salt pork or unsmoked bacon, cut into cubes
15g clarified butter
400g lamb shoulder
350g boiling sausages
1 celery stalk, sliced
4 pieces of duck confit or 4 pieces roast duck
6 large tomatoes
180g toulouse sausage
4 slices baguette, made into crumbs

1. Put the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak overnight, then drain and rinse.

2. Put the beans in a large saucepan with the bouquet garni, onion, garlic and salt pork.  Add 2-3 litres of cold water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour.

3. Heat the clarified butter in a frying pan. Cut the lamb into eight pieces and brown in the butter.  Add the lamb, boiling sausage, celery and duck to the top of the beans and push into the liquid.  Score a cross in the top of each tomato and plunge into boiling water for 20 seconds, then peel the skin away from the cross. Chop the tomatoes finely, discarding the cores, and add to the top of the cassoulet. Push into the liquid and cook for a further hour.

4. Brown the toulouse sausage in the frying pan and add to the top of the cassoulet. Push into the liquid and cook for 30 minutes more. Preheat the oven to 160C (315F)

5. Discard the bouquet garni. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and boil over moderate heat until reduced by two-thirds. Remove all of the meat from the saucepan and slice the sausages and pull all of the duck meat from the bones.  Layer the meat and beans, alternately, in a deep casserole. Pour in the liquid, to come no higer than the top of the beans.

6. Sprinkle the cassoulet with the breadcrumbs, and bake for 40 minutes. Every 10 minutes, break the breadcrumb crust with the back of a spoon to let a little liquid cme through. If the beans ook a bit dry, add a little stock or water to the edge of the dish. Serve straight from the casserole.

Lamb Shanks

serves 4

4 lamb shanks
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 small dried red chilli or 2 tsp chopped fresh shilli
1 tbs fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
1 tbs flour
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large carrott, quartered and finely sliced
6 sticks of celery, quartered and finely sliced
2 onions, quartered and finely chopped
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
170 mil / 6oz dry white wine
6 anchovy fillets
2 tins tomatoes (400g each)
1 handful of fresh basil, marjoram or parsley roughly chopped

Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Smash coriander seeds and chilli and mix the rosemary and marjoram. Roll the lamb in this mixture. Dust the lamb with flour. Heat a thick-bottomed casserole pan, add the oil, brown the meat. Add the garlic, carrott, celery, onions and a pinch of salt, sweat until softened. Add balsamic and allow it to reduce to a syrup. Pour in wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add anchovies and tinned tomatoes. Shake the pan and return the lamb. Bring to the boil, put on lid and simmer in oven at 180C/350F for 1.5 hours then remove lid and cook further half an hour. Skim off fat and taste for seasoning. Stir in herbs.