About 4 cups (800g) of Tarbais beans (Cannellini or Great Northern beans may be substituted)
1 pinch of baking soda
About 5 ounces (150g) of lean bacon
2 pork rinds
Seasonings: 1 onion stuck with 2 cloves, 6 peppercorns tied in a piece of muslin, 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley tied together), 1 carrot cut into slices
4 garlic cloves
1 garlic sausage
2 Toulouse sausages (9 oz/250 g)
1 pound (500g) lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
2 medium onions
About 1 pound (400 g) duck confit (can be bought in a can)
Breadcrumbs
Cookware
1 bowl for soaking the beans
1 Dutch oven/stew pot
2 frying pans
1 large clay casserole dish (heatproof)
1 oven
Preparation
The night before, soak the beans in cold water with 1 pinch of baking soda
When ready to cook: Cook the pieces of bacon in boiling water for 10 minutes and then run them under cold water and drain
Place the pork rinds at the bottom of a stew pot or Dutch oven. Add the drained beans, bacon, seasonings, 2 cloves garlic and 8 cups (2 liters) of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim off any fat or froth on the surface and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes covered over low heat. When done, add the garlic sausage and Toulouse sausage and cook another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the lamb pieces in 2 tablespoons of duck fat, which can be taken from your can of duck confit. Add salt and pepper. Remove the meat and in the same pan, sauté 2 chopped onions and 2 minced garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Pour 1 ladle of cooking water from the beans in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
In another pan, without fat, brown the pieces of duck confit. Remove the bouquet garni from the Dutch oven as well as the three sausages, which need to be cut into 1/2 inch (1cm) thick slices.
Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C)
Grease a large, round clay casserole dish (heatproof) with some of the fat from the confit and fill with a layer of beans. Top with a layer of meat (lamb and the cut bacon), the confit, the sliced ??sausages and the onions with their cooking juice.
Continue filling the dish, alternating meat and beans. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Drizzle with 3 ladles of cooking water from the beans and some warmed fat from the confit. Cook for 2 hours minimum, adding more cooking water from the beans and 3 times the amount of breadcrumbs if necessary.
Serve in the casserole dish.
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Final Thoughts
Because of the cook time, anticipate about 4 hours for this recipe - not counting the time it takes to soak the beans!