Ingredients
- 250g haricot beans, soaked overnight
- 450g pork belly, skinned, boned and diced
- cold water
- 1 tbsp duck fat*
- 1 large turnip, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
- 500g celeriac, cut into 1cm dice
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley stalks)
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 500g pure pork sausages (preferably with some garlic in them)
- 350g waxy potatoes, peeled and put into a bowl of cold water
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- *Duck fat is available in jars in good supermarkets and food stores. It lasts for months once opened and refrigerated.
Method
Drain and rinse the beans, then put them into a large pot with the pork.
Add cold water to 6cm above the beans. Bring slowly to the boil, then skim and reduce to a simmer.
Meanwhile, heat the duck fat in a frying pan and saute the turnip, onion, carrot and celeriac until just starting to colour. Add to the simmering beans with the bouquet garni. Cover and simmer gently for one hour. Add salt and pepper
Cook the sausages in the same frying pan, without adding any additional fat, just for a few moments to stiffen them. Cut the sausages and potatoes into 4-cm chunks and add to the beans. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. At this stage the bean mixture should still be very moist but not sloppy. If it is looking at all dry, add a little hot water.
Stir the garlic and parsley into the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Allow the dish to stand for 20 minutes before serving - it will continue to thicken.
This rustic soup/stew is great brought to the table in a pottery bowl and served in front of the guests. Offer a basket of toasted bread rubbed with garlic.
