Quick shallot and sausage cassoulet with garlic crostini

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 8 good quality pork sausages
• 12 shallots, peeled and left whole
• 150g pancetta cubed
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 sticks celery, diced
• 2 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
• 20g dried porcini mushrooms soaked
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 250ml red wine
• 150ml chicken stock
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp red currant jelly
• 1 x 400g tin of flageolet beans, drained
• 1 x 400g cannelloni beans, drained
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes, chopped

For the garlic crostini:

• 8 baguette slices
• 55g butter, softened
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1. Preheat oven to 180°c gas mark 4 or 350°f
2. Heat the rapeseed oil in an ovenproof casserole dish and brown the sausages on all sides. Remove from the dish and reserve.
3. Add the shallots, pancetta, carrots and celery to the casserole dish and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Then add the garlic, porcini and chestnut mushrooms, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a further minute.
5. Add the wine, stock parsley and red currant jelly. Bring to the boil, and then add the beans, and tomatoes.
6. Return the sausages to the casserole, season and cover with the casserole lid, place in the oven and cook for 50-55 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beans are soft and cooked through. Check the seasoning, and adjust as necessary.
7. For the crostini, mix together the crushed garlic and softened butter and season with sea salt and black pepper. Spread the garlic butter onto both sides of the baguette slices and grill each side until golden.
8. Sprinkle the parsley over the casserole and serve with the garlic crostini.

Credits

UK Shallots, for professional and passionate cooks : www.UKShallot.com