LaRousse ( 1938 first French edition & 1962 First English transalation) will inform you that there are three types of bean stews; however, the one they make for themselves is a version of a recipe from Castelnaudary. Here’s the very basics of their team’s recipe that serves 8:
1) PLACE into eathernware pot ( the ‘Cassoulet’) add water,and simmer until beans are cooked:
quart of white haricot (shell) beans (previously soaked for hours)
1/2 pound salt breast of pork
1/3 pound de-salted bacon skins
carrot
onion stuck with cloves
“bouquet garni”
2) In another pan:
brown 1/2 pounds of loin pork and 1 pound of boned loin of mutton
well season with salt and pepper in lard or goose fat
when browned, place in another pan with two cooked onions,
“bouquet garni“, 2 crushed cloves of garlic
keep moistened either with gravy or beef stock
you may add tomato purree or 3 chopped and seedless tomatoes
3) When beans are all cooked, remove veggies form the beans and add pork, mutton, sausage and add a leg of preserved leg of goose or duck (confit d’oie or confir de canard) and simmer for an hour
4) remove meat from beans and cut up
5) put into large eathernware pot and alternately layer beans and meat and some of it’s sauce and season each layer, top with more bean. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cook on low heat (325 F. or so) for 1 1/2 hours or so.
6) serve at table from the pot!
This is an extraordinary dish… and to be honest, I am still playing with my own version!
Bon Appetite!