Cassoulet

Ingredients: 1 pound dry white beans 6 sprigs parsley 4 sprigs fresh thyme 4 cloves garlic 3 whole cloves 1 bay leaf 4 ounces thick bacon, cut into small chunks 4 Italian-style sweet sausages, cut into chunks, or smoky sausage like kielbasa 2 to 3 pounds meat: pork, veal, beef, duck or chicken salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, cut into small chunks 2 tomatoes, chopped 6 T tomato paste 2 cups beef or chicken stock 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs 2 T butter cut, into bits Prepare: Cook the beans as in the original recipe, but after the soaking, place the parsley, thyme, garlic, cloves and bay leaf in a small muslin or cheesecloth bag, and include it when you cook the beans. When the beans are cooked, remove the herbs, and drain the beans but reserve the cooking water. Set the beans and cooking water aside. In a large saute pan, cook the bacon over moderate heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the sausage chunks to the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the outside is lightly browned. Remove meat and set aside with bacon. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. You may use a mixture of meats. Add meat in small amounts to the saute pan, browning the pieces, then removing them to a dish, until all the meat has been cooked. Note: if you use a duck breast, you may roast it whole, then cut it into chunks. Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the meats, but not the bacon or sausage, to the pan. Add the tomato paste, stock, wine and some salt and pepper. Stir ingredients, cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sausage and bacon. Place a layer of beans in a large, deep casserole. Spoon some of the meat mixture on top and continue layering until all the beans and meat have been used. Be sure there is enough liquid in the casserole to cover the beans, using the reserved bean cooking liquid, if necessary. Spoon the bread crumbs on top of the meat and bean mixture. Top with the butter bits. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, breaking crust and mixing it with mixture below during first 45 minutes. If mixture below crust seems dry, add stock or bean cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time when you break the crust. The cassoulet is done when the crust is golden brown. Serves 6