Cassoulet is a French specialty. It’s a rich, slow-cooked white bean casserole infused with bold smoked meat flavors. Our Haitian adaptation is cooked on the stovetop. We do not bake our cassoulet like the original French version. We also serve it alongside white rice.
Please note that this recipe uses a pressure cooker for both the beans and pork feet so as to speed up the cooking process.
Soak the beans in water at room temperature for about 10 hours (overnight)
Drain and rinse the beans. Discard the water and set aside.
Add the beans to a pressure cooker, cover with water with 2 garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf
Cook the beans halfway (about 15 minutes). Don’t fully cook them so as to avoid them turning into a puree in the cassoulet.
For the pig feet
Soak the pig feet in water for at least 2 hours
Drain and rinse the salted pig feet with water
Transfer them to a pressure cooker
Cover with water
Add some thyme sprigs, the bitter orange juice and some peppercorn
Cover and cook until fork tender (about 30 to 45 minutes)
Drain. Preserve the cooking water, you will use it as broth for the cassoulet.
For the cassoulet
Chop the tomato, garlic, onions and bell pepper. Set aside
Slice the smoked sausage. Set aside.
In a thick bottom pan, cook the lardon (ti sale)
Add the garlic, onions and bell pepper, and cook in the lardon fat until translucent
Add the sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over
Add the diced tomato and deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine
Incorporate the pig feet. Stir well to combine.
Cover with the water that cooked the pig feet
Add the bay leaves and whole piment bouc
Once the liquid starts simmering, add the beans
Season to taste
Let simmer on low for about 45 minutes to an hour until the cassoulet thickens
Serve with white rice
Notes
Quick tip: You can cook the cassoulet faster by reducing a small amount of cooked beans into a puree and adding it to the mixture. Your cassoulet will thicken faster