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Le cassoulet de la mer à la bretonne (Breton seaside cassoulet)

Le cassoulet de la mer à la bretonne (Breton seaside cassoulet) is a traditional French recipe (from Brittany) for a classic stew of beans, fish and langoustines in a herbed base with onion and garlic. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic French version of: Breton seaside cassoulet (Le cassoulet de la mer à la bretonne).

prep time

40 minutes

cook time

60 minutes

Total Time:

100 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : Bread RecipesBean RecipesFrench RecipesBreton Recipes

A cassoulet is a stew originating in southern France made with confit duck, pork, sausages or other ingredients. This Breton twist on the original used cod, salmon and langoustines instead of the original meats.

You can of course also garnish it with your favourite seafood/shellfish (cockles or mussels etc) in addition. This recipe calls for salt cod. To de-salt, place in a large bowl of water over night. Soak in 3 changes of water the following morning. Place in a large pan, add 2l water and bring to a simmer. Discard the water, add 2l more and bring back to a simmer. Take the fish from the water and allow to cool before cutting into cubes.

Ingredients:

500g of haricot beans
200g salmon, cubed
200g salt cod (desalted), cubed
4 langoustines
Parsley
Thyme
bay leaves
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2 tbsp of duck fat
Breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

The previous night, place the beans in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water (but allow space for the beans to swell) then set aside for the beans to re-hydrate.

When ready to cook, drain the beans, place in a large pot and cover with 2l cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a brisk simmer then add as much of the aromatic herbs (parsley, thyme and bay leaf) as you like.

Pre-heat your oven to 170°C (gas mark 5-6).

Heat the duck fat in a cast iron casserole over medium heat. Add the salmon, cod and langoustines and fry to brown. Once lightly coloured add in the onion and garlic.

Once the beans are almost tender, add to the casserole along with 3 ladlefuls of the bean cooking liquid.

Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then stir everything together to combine.

Bring to a boil and cook for 60 minutes. Add the langoustines of top, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top then place under a hot grill (broiler) to brown for 5-10 minutes.