Cheat's French Cassoulet - Crock Pot or Le Creuset

Heat olive oil in a large skillet - fry the bacon until nearly crisp & then add the onions, garlic, & carrots. Cook over a high heat until they are just soft on the outside & turning a golden colour. Drain well & remove from pan. Add to crock pot or Le Creuset casserole dish.

Add sausages and brown - remove & add to onion mixture.

Add pork chop pieces & brown - remove and add to above mixture.

Make up chicken stock and add wine. Mix tomatoes in with stock & teaspoon of sugar.

Pour stock and tomatoes over the cassoulet in crock pot or le creuset - add bouquet garni & give everything a good stir!

Add the beans and stir well again.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and cook for up to 6 hours on high in crock pot or in le cresuet for 3 hours in a slow oven with the lid on, 150C/300°F.

Half an hour before serving, take lid of le creuset to brown the top. It's difficult to brown in a crock pot, but it's not that essential to brown the top, as the reason behind the breadcrumbs is to soak up some of the juice & make a crust on top! If your crock pot is the type which you can put under the grill, then do so!

Serve with mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes & stir-fried Savoy Cabbage.

NOTE ON SAUSAGES:.

Try to use very good quality high meat content sausages; in France Toulouse sausages are mainly used - they generally have a meat content of at least 85%. Good quality English style sausages are also good - I have a recipe posted for some English sausages: Old Fashioned English Spiced Pork and Herb Sausages or Bangers! .

However, any kind of sausage can be used and in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc.

The Pork chops can be replaced with chicken pieces, lamb steaks or Confit D'Canard - preserved duck, if you are lucky enought to have some!