The day before, soak the beans, throwing away those that float in the surface. At the same time, prepare the broth by immersing the ears, tail, trotter and other pieces that morality disapproves of, in cold water. Good taste requires a bouquet garni.

 

The day before, rinse the beans well in cold water. Cook them in the defatted broth, with the shank, the andouille, a quarter of the neck, the rinds, a piece of confit ear, the chopped bacon and ham, the carrots in slices, the chopped leek, the two cloved onions, three-quarters of the garlic, twenty grains of black pepper and two spoons of goose fat. One of the principles of cassoulet – which should be applied from this moment on – is to avoid stirring, tossing, mistreating the bean; it must be left to follow its senatorial pace, two hours covered over low heat, in a high, thick-bottomed pot.

 

While the beans are distilling their juice, in a frying pan or sauté pan, prepare a sort of mutton fricassee with the rest of the collar and the garlic. It should sear, not boil! At the end, add three tablespoons of tomato coulis, a pinch of savory and a few energetic turns of the pepper mill. At the same time, quickly grill the surface of the ribs in the oven. In the same vein, you can in another frying pan, give a little color to the pieces of goose confit that you will then cut into six pieces.

 

Two hours have passed since the beginning of the cooking of the beans, timing is of the essence. Rub the casserole with garlic. Carefully, so as not to damage the beans, remove the rinds and use them to line the inside walls of the  earthenware dish. Then pour a first layer of beans, then some shank, cut by hand into small pieces, some andouille in rounds, some cut ribs, some confit, and the mutton. Pepper generously, salt if necessary.

Cover with the rest of the beans, pepper again, then moisten more than enough with the cooking juices from the mutton and the beans. Keep the surplus of this last juice or pork stock if there is any left in the fridge.

 

Bake at 100°C-110°C. Here is where patience is of the utmost importance: the casserole must remain at this temperature for at least twelve hours for it to really cook. In the meantime, break the crust, push it in and baste if necessary. The surface should brown but never blacken. When everything seems right and perfect to you, when the full twelve hours have passed, turn off the heat and remove the casserole from the oven. Let it cool gently, this is when the the beans infuse the juice. Cover the casserole with a kitchen towel and set aside for the next day.

 

In the early morning of the Grand Soir – or the immense Midi – preheat the oven to one hundred and ten degrees, perfume it with a few sprigs of aromatic gorse, and introduce the cold cassoulet, possibly moistened with a little broth.

 

Let it warm for two hours. In the meantime, during presentations and uncorking of the bottles, take out your best black sheet metal pan, grease it lightly and bring it up to temperature to grill the sausage previously taken out of the refrigerator. Bring the hot casserole to the table, as well as the sausage served in its pan which the guests can dig into while they eat the beans.