This is a fine recipe from Thomasina Meyers in The Guardian. I asked the staff if they would make it and it was as good as it sounds, although calling it a cassoulet seems like a push. Our Creative Director, Rachel Padilla, ended up being the chef. I love fennel but I tend to overcook it and caramalize it. Here, it's fully cooked and fresh-tasting with just the hint of anise. I would go easier on the breadcrumbs and keep the focus on the beans and the fennel.

Rachel used our Alubia Blanca but Cassoulet, Royal Coronas, Ayocote Blanco, or any good white bean will work. The original recipe calls for canned beans but we know better, don't we?

In addition to actual cooked beans instead of a can, Rachel used regular garlic and skipped the sugar mixed with breadcrumbs. I asked her if she'd consider this a variation on a cassoulet. "No way. A casserole, yes, but it's not cassoulet."

Garlic, fennel and thyme cassoulet
Recipe by Thomasina Miers in The Guardian

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4

3 heads new-season garlic (Note: Rachel used 2 cloves regular garlic)
3 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed (about 800g net weight)
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and quartered through the stem
100g smoked pancetta or lardon cubes (optional)
2 bay leaves
¼ bunch thyme, picked
Zest of 1 lemon
2 x 400g tin cannellini or haricot beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups cooked Alubia Blanca, or other white bean
150ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
For the crisp topping
100g dried breadcrumbs
20g caster sugar
60g parmesan, finely grated

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Bash open the heads of garlic and remove the outer layers. Top and tail the fennel, remove the outer leaves if they are looking old (reserve the thick stalks for stocks or salads), then cut the bulbs in half and cut across into thick slices.

Heat a large, wide saute pan over a high heat and add two tablespoons of the oil. Saute half the garlic, fennel and shallots in the fat until rich and golden on all sides, then season generously and transfer to a wide baking dish large enough to hold everything later. Add another two tablespoons of oil and repeat with the rest of the vegetables (depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in more than two batches).

Saute the lardons in the same pan and saute for about five minutes, until they release their fat and turn pale gold, then transfer to the vegetable dish.

Scatter over the bay leaves, thyme (save some for the top) and lemon zest, then add the beans, mix well, pour in the wine and stock, and season.

Toss the breadcrumbs, sugar and parmesan with the reserved thyme leaves and scatter on top. Drizzle with the remaining oil, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, bake for 15-20 minutes more, until the top is golden, crusty and looking tempting, then remove and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a salad, or alongside a plate of sausages or roast chicken legs, and lots of fresh bread to mop up all the juices.