Justine Schofield’s Cheat’s Cassoulet

To mark the newly revamped Fresh Food & Dining Precinct at Chatswood Chase, beloved cook and TV personality Justine Schofield shares her fresh take on home cooking. With French roots and MasterChef cred, she blends classic technique with relaxed Aussie flair — always with flavour front and centre. 

5 Minutes with Justine Schofield 

Justine! Your career has been golden. What have been the main highlights? 

MasterChef paved the way into a career I never thought I would have. It’s been a dream! For the past 15 years I’ve been lucky enough you host my own TV show, Everyday Gourmet, which has been incredible to be able to teach Australians how to cook my favourite dishes through their TV screens. Similarly, being an author of five cookbooks is another huge highlight. 

You’ve created a recipe using only ingredients from the Chatswood Chase food retailers. Tell us about this dish. 

I’ve created a cheat’s version of cassoulet, which is a traditional French slow-cooked stew made with white beans, meat, and herbs. There’s something deeply nostalgic about cassoulet because going up with a French mum, as soon as winter was upon us, this is what she would make. It’s a humble dish, yet generous and perfect for sharing — and mine takes under an hour to create. 

How does this recipe reflect what Chatswood Chase has to offer? 

Cassoulet consists of a number of ingredients that have to be sourced at multiple providores. The beauty of Chatswood Chase is that I can get everything I need in the one precinct. Pancetta from Quattro Deli, duck fat, artisan sausages and chicken Marylands from Vic’s the Chef’s Butcher, beautiful fresh vegetables and extra virgin olive oil from LoSurdo’s. And of course, I couldn’t resist the most delightful, freshly shucked oyster from Astakos for a quick entrée. 

Do you have any go-to tips for home cooks when shopping for quality produce? 

My biggest tip is to plan ahead but stay flexible — go in with a rough idea of meals but be ready to swap ingredients based on what looks the freshest. The best ingredients are usually seasonal, so if you see an abundance of something at a good price, it’s likely what you should be cooking with. 

If you had to plan your perfect foodie day at Chatswood Chase, where would you start — and where would you end up? 

I’d start with a coffee from one of many cafés followed by a delicious panini filled with freshly sliced prosciutto, ricotta and sundried tomatoes at Quattro Deli. Then I’d get started on my food shop. Always beginning at Vic’s and/or Astakos followed by my fruit and vegetable shop at LoSurdo’s.  

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Cheat’s Cassoulet 

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Serves: 4-6 

Ingredients

2 tbs. extra virgin oil 

2 chicken Marylands (from Vic’s – the chef’s butcher) 

4 good quality pork and fennel sausage (from Vic’s – the chef’s butcher) 

200g piece speck, cut into lardons (from Quattro Deli) 

2 carrots, cut into cm rounds 

1 onion, sliced 

2 cloves garlic, sliced 

1 tbsp. tomato paste 

2 x 400g can of white beans, drained and rinsed 

100ml white wine 

1L chicken stock 

1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and bay leaf) + an extra 8 sprigs of thyme 

Winter salad leaves to serve on the side (from LoSurdo’s) 

Crunchy topping 

15g butter 

1cup fresh breadcrumbs 

2 sprigs parsley, chopped 

1 clove garlic, minced 

Salt and pepper 

Optional entrée

Freshly shucked Oysters (from Astakos) 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

In a large oven-safe pan or dish, heat a little oil over medium-low heat and seal off the chicken. Once browned, add the sausages and seal them off as well. Remove both from the pan and set aside on a plate. 

Drain off some of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Sauté the speck, carrot, onion, and garlic for 3–4 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste. Cook briefly to coat all the vegetables in the paste, then deglaze the pan with white wine. 

Add the stock, beans, and bouquet garni. Bring everything to the boil, then return the chicken and sausages to the pot, nestling them into the mixture. 

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 45 minutes. 

While the cassoulet is cooking, prepare the topping. Melt the butter with a splash of oil in a pan, then add the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat evenly in the butter and cook — tossing regularly — until golden and crispy. Add the garlic and parsley and toss through to distribute evenly. 

To serve, portion the cassoulet into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of the crispy garlicky breadcrumbs. 

Loved this cheat’s cassoulet recipe and looking for more kitchen inspo? You might also like this unique fusion recipe for tom yum pasta. If it’s snacks your after, we recommend these delish fish croquettes.