This is the cassouletlike dish of the mountains between Spain and France, claimed by several cultures. When I was there, I was told that each of twenty different versions was the “only” authentic one; in this way, too, it’s like cassoulet. What they all had in common were the large white beans called Tarbais (after Tarbes, one of the larger towns of the region)—which you probably will not be able to find—and a stultifying heartiness. Great stuff: you must serve it with crusty country bread and a good red wine.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　1/4 pound salt pork, diced

　　4 small potatoes, peeled and halved

　　2 garlic cloves, chopped

　　2 leeks, trimmed, washed (page 465), and sliced

　　2 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths

　　1 turnip, peeled and quartered

　　1 small head of cabbage, cored and chopped

　　1 cup dried large white beans, like Tarbais, cannellini, or limas, soaked overnight (or boiled for 2 minutes and soaked for 2 hours) and drained

　　2 fresh thyme sprigs

　　2 bay leaves

　　5 fresh parsley sprigs

　　5 whole peppercorns

　　1/2 to 1 pound Duck Confit (page 330), goose confit, fresh garlic or sweet sausage, or a combination

　　Salt to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Put the salt pork in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cubes brown nicely, adjusting the heat as necessary. Add all the vegetables except the beans and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they brown a bit. Add the beans, cover with water by about 2 inches, and bring back to a boil over high heat, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers. Add the thyme, bay leaves, parsley, and peppercorns (if you like you can tie them into a little cheesecloth bag first). Simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours, or until the beans and vegetables are tender.

　　

Step 2

Add the confit and/or sausage to the simmering soup and cook until the confit is warmed through and/or until the sausage is cooked through, 15 to 30 minutes more. Remove the confit and/or sausage, slice, and divide among serving bowls. Ladle the soup and its vegetables and beans into the bowls and serve hot.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.