It's said the first cassoulet was made during the Hundred Years War in the besieged French town of Castelnaudary, where the townspeople threw whatever they had into a large pot to stave off hunger at the hands of the British. But you don't need to be under siege to revel in this simplified take on the classic French stew. Bringing slow-cooked flavour in less than an hour, it’s the perfect dish to fill bellies on chilly weeknights.
Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced. Peel and cut onion into thin wedges. Crush garlic. Slice mushrooms. Peel and chop carrot into 3cm dice.
Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add sausages and cook for 5 minutes each side or until golden. Remove from pan. Add onion, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper and cook for 3–4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add mushroom and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add tomato paste and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until lightly caramelised.
Drain butter beans and add to pan with carrot. Return sausages to pan. Add stock cube, 125ml (½ cup) water, tomatoes and most of the thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and transfer to oven for 20 minutes.
Remove cassoulet from oven. Top with panko breadcrumbs and bake, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes or until topping is golden.
Pick remaining thyme leaves from their stems. Remove cassoulet from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Divide between bowls and top with thyme leaves to serve.