It took two days of soaking, browning, roasting, baking (and more duck fat than I ever could have imagined) but the great cassoulet experiment proved a smashing success – especially when paired with a simple mache salad, a crunchy French baguette, and an earthy bottle of red wine. I only wish it were a bit colder out; this hearty bean stew is wintry comfort food of the highest order.