Bean cassoulet with nut crumb

The combination of beans and nuts here makes this a superb meal – and it’s even better if the ingredients are locally sourced.

Bean cassoulet with nut crumb Credit: Damon Gameau

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 400 g can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 large zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 × 400 g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups stock of your choice
• lemon wedges, to serve

Nut crumb

• ½ cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• ½ cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
• ½ cup macadamias, toasted and finely chopped
• 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley, stems and leaves finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the nut crumb by placing all the ingredients in a bowl and stirring until well combined. Season to taste. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large, deep heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the onion has collapsed and is very golden and starting to catch on the bottom of the pan. (This is important, as this long cooking time adds a crucial depth of flavour and deep colour to the cassoulet.) 

3. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and zucchini and cook, breaking up the tomato pieces roughly with the back of your spoon, for 30 seconds or until well coated in the onion mixture. 

4. Reduce the heat to low and add the beans and stock. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30–35 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by three-quarters and the mixture is rich and thick.

5. Take the pan straight to the table and sprinkle the nut crumb evenly over the top. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe from 2040: Handbook for Regeneration by Damon Gameau. (Pan Macmillan, pb, $34.99).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.