Sausage and Bean Cassoulet for the Freezer

• 3 tbspolive oil
• 6pork sausages, about 400 g total
• 2onions, chopped
• 2leeks, sliced and washed
• 3carrots, finely diced
• 3celery sticks, finely diced
• 5garlic cloves, crushed
• 6fresh thyme sprigs
• 2bay leaves
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 200mldry white wine
• 2 x 400gtins chopped tomatoes
• 500mlchicken stock
• 4 x 400gtins haricot beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbspDijon mustard
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 100 gbreadcrumbs
• 20gparsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil
• 400ggreen beans, trimmed
• 15 mllemon juice

Method

1. 1Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in your largest casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the sausages for 6 minutes, turning, until dark golden all over. They will not be cooked through yet. Set aside and cut each into four chunks once cool enough to handle.
2. 2Add the rest of the olive oil with the onions, leeks, carrots and celery and a teaspoon of salt. Cook for 10 minutes until soft and sweet, then stir in the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and tomato puree for 1 minute until the puree darkens a shade.
3. 3Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, stock, haricot beans, mustard and the sausage chunks, bring to a simmer and cook with the lid off for 35 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sausages are at 75°C for 30 seconds in the centre, the beans have softened into the sauce and it is thick and glossy.
4. 4Pull out the thyme stalks and bay leaves. Crush a ladleful of beans against the side of the pan and stir back in for body, then taste; sausages vary a lot in salt, so season now with salt and pepper.
5. 5Set aside the portions for freezing. Mix all the breadcrumbs, parsley and the separate 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Use one-eighth of this mixture per portion being eaten now; bag and freeze the remainder separately. Heat the grill, scatter the allocated topping over tonight’s cassoulet in a grill-safe dish and grill for about 5 minutes until golden.
6. 6Cook 50 g green beans per person in boiling water for about 4 minutes until tender. Drain and dress with the same proportion of the 15 ml lemon juice and a little black pepper. Save the remaining uncooked beans and lemon for another meal, or buy fresh beans when serving the frozen portions.
7. 7Cool the tubs within 2 hours and freeze for up to 3 months, with the crumb mix bagged separately. Defrost overnight in the fridge, reheat in an ovenproof dish at 190°C fan for 25 minutes until piping hot, then scatter over the crumb and give it 5 minutes more until golden.

Per serving

kcal

508

protein

21.8g

fibre

15g

carbs

51g

fat

23.7g