At the Table: Cassoulet

Election night nosh? Not exactly. This dish is as full of pork as a congressman’s earmark, but is easily kept warm for this night of erratic hungers--people glued to the TV, then suddenly starving.

In southwest France, cassoulet means controversy. Three competing towns claim supremacy: Castelnaudary, Toulouse and Carcassone. I tried ‘em all on the spot, loved every version. Pork and beans are the base. One faction adds lamb, another thinks duck a must-have, and purists insist on confit d’oie, goose preserved in its fat.

Actual prep time is not long, but you must start the soaking and simmering of the beans early. (Or cheat, I’ll never tell. Look for big cans of precooked beans, totaling about 5 pounds, and start with step 3, below.)

Here is a version so simplified you’re not even asked to tie up a bouquet garni. It’s delectable, serves 10-12, reheats better than ever, is easy to cut in half, and is great for this football season:

1. Place 3 lbs. great northern beans in a 5-6 qt. stockpot. Cover with water 3" above the beans. Boil 2 minutes. Set aside to soak 1 hour. Drain, return to pot, cover with water 3" above the beans.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, drop 1/4 lb. thick-cut bacon into boiling water 5 minutes. Drain and dice. Add to the pre-soaked beans, with an onion studded with 5 or 6 cloves, two scraped carrots cut in 3/4" lengths, 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 bay leaf. Simmer 1.5 hrs, skimming froth. Don’t boil.
   
   
3. Heat oven to 475. Cut 2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder and 2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder into 1.5" cubes. Slice 2 lb. garlic or kielbasa sausage into 1" pieces.
   
   
4. Put 2 tbsp. olive oil into oven roaster pan, straddling it over stove burners. Brown the meats quickly. Finish roasting in oven, checking occasionally.
   
   
5. Reduce heat to 350. When beans are tender, drain into a bowl through a colander, reserve liquid.
   
   
6. Remove excess fat from roaster, push cooked meat aside, pour in 1 cup white wine, and scrape up the browned bits. Add one 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice, 2 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. black pepper and 1.5 tsp. salt.
   
   
7. Pour drained beans into roaster. (If using canned beans, at this point mix in 2 finely chopped carrots, 1 onion, finely chopped, 2 cloves garlic, minced and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves.)
   
   
8. Topping: mix well 2 cups coarse bread crumbs, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaved spinach, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper. Spread half the mix over beans and meats in roaster. Bake for 45 minutes.
   
   

After 20 minutes, when topping is toasted, press it down gently into beans, using a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with remaining topping. Finish baking. Taste for seasoning. Moisten with reserved bean liquid if needed. Enjoy!