Cassoulet

Let me explain. We use this recipe often, especially when we run out of the 20 cans of cassoulet we always bring back from France. It's based, somewhat ironically, on the "Quick Cassoulet" recipe in Good Housekeeping's Step-by-step Cookbook.

However, before this turns into the "Pork and Beans in Blighty" blog,, I ought to explain that my friend Laura asked for this recipe for her occasionally home-sick French partner and I thought this was the easiest way to share it with her.

I'm now really scared about what a Frenchman will think of my cooking. Gulp! What was I thinking Anyway, here goes nothing! (With apologies to Andre for my chutzpah).

Ingredients for 4:

250 g (1 cup) dried haricot beans. No need to soak.
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp mixed herbs or herbes de Provence
Pepper (but no salt till you serve it or your beans won't cook!)
6 sticks of celery, chopped
3 onions, peeled and halved
1 green pepper, chopped
800ml water
1 chicken stock cube
1lb/450g Sainsburys Toulouse sausages (or similar)
1 lb/450g belly pork in 1 inch cubes (optional)
Whatever meaty bits your French family member feels are crucial to cassoulet - it's wildly different depending on the region so this may include duck, goose, etc.

Method:
While you dump everything else into the slow cooker, brown off your sausages and any other meaty bits in a frying pan until they have a light golden hue and look a little less raw.

Tip your assorted meaty bits on top of everything else, give a good stir and plug and play. That's it! Cook for 8 hours on Low. If your slow cooker isn't quite as fiercely hot as mine, you may need slightly longer or an hour at the beginning on high - you may need to experiment a little.

Verdict:
Well, we liked it, as ever. I'm just worried to know what Andre thinks!