A slow-roasted leg of lamb served over a bed of tender white beans, enriched with stock and the pan’s juices. This Breton preparation is a quiet masterpiece of French regional cuisine—unpretentious, generous, and intensely flavorful.
FR / EN
Gigot d’agneau à la bretonne / Breton-Style Leg of Lamb with White Beans
Regional Style
Brittany / Rural Banquet Cuisine
Servings
Serves Six to Eight
Ingredients
- For the lamb
- 1 leg of lamb (2.2–2.5 kg), trimmed
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 tablespoons lard or butter
- Optional: bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf)
- For the beans
- 500 g dried white beans (haricots blancs or flageolets)
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 leek, rinsed and chopped
- Bouquet garni
- Salt, to taste
For finishing
Lamb pan juices
Optional: 1 ladle of veal or poultry stock
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon is circa 15 ml, and a teaspoon is circa 5 ml
Preparation Method
Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Drain, rinse, and place in a large pot with the onion, carrot, leek, bouquet garni, and enough cold water to cover. Simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender but still intact. Salt toward the end of cooking. Drain, remove the aromatics, and set beans aside covered.
Preheat the oven to 410°F (210 °C). Rub the leg of lamb with salt and pepper. Make a few incisions and insert slivers of garlic into the meat.
Heat the lard or butter in a roasting pan. Sear the lamb on all sides until well browned. Transfer to the oven and roast for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting regularly, until the meat is pink. Add a splash of water or stock if needed, midway.
When the lamb is done, transfer it to a warm plate and let it rest. Deglaze the roasting pan with a spoon of stock or hot water, scraping up the browned bits.
Fold the drained beans into the deglazed juices. Rewarm gently. Adjust seasoning. Spread the beans on a large serving platter and place the carved lamb on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.
Serving Suggestions & Garnishes
Serve with Dijon mustard, crusty bread, and a glass of rustic Brittany cider or a light red wine. In formal service, the beans are shaped into a border or served in a deep dish beneath the lamb.
Tips, Tricks, or Variations
Use flageolets for a greener, more refined version, or Tarbais or Lingot beans for richer flavor. Add a few salted pork rind strips to the bean pot for authenticity. The lamb may also be spiked with anchovy or herbed butter in some Breton farmhouse versions.
Historical & Cultural Context
Gigot à la bretonne is a regional classic that bridges Brittany’s inland and coastal traditions. While Brittany is famous for fish and buckwheat, its inland provinces historically raised mutton and beans, especially for market-day meals, spring festivals, and Easter celebrations.
In the 19th century, this dish became symbolic of rural Sunday lunches and appeared frequently in railway buffets and rural inns. By the time of L’Art du Bien Manger (~1910–1920), it had migrated into bourgeois menus, celebrated for its rustic honesty and deep flavor.
The beans reflect the older European model of serving meat with legumes rather than starch, and the preparation embodies the French belief that roasting is not complete without sauce, even when humble.
Though rarely seen today outside home kitchens, this dish remains an icon of hearty, respectful, and quietly ceremonial French family cooking.
