Cassoulet
Cassoulet is a traditional French dish that is packed with flavor! It's a great comfort food recipe to serve to your family this season...
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (2 1/2 cups) dry white kidney beans (substitute navy, Great Northern or cannellini), soaked overnight in plain water
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt, and more for seasoning
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 2 tbsp. duck fat tips & tricks
- 8 ounces cured salt pork, cubed
- 1 lb. kielbasa sausage (substitute saucisses de Toulouse or garlic sausage), casing removed and cut into 2-inch pieces and halved Footnote
- 4 large chicken drumsticks
- 2 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder, fat removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onions, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces tips & tricks
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 4 large vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tbsp. Herbes de Provence tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 cup Panko® breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped tips & tricks
Directions
- Drain the soaked beans, transfer to a large pot and pour in enough cold water to cover the beans by 2-inches; add salt.
- Bring it to a boil and when it gets there, reduce the heat; simmer for 45 minutes, skimming off the foam. When cooked, drain them well and if desired, collect the broth; set aside.
- Season lamb cubes and drumsticks with salt and pepper; set aside
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add duck fat and when it gets hot, add cured salt pork. Cook until brown, stirring continuously, about 5 to 6 minutes. When it’s done, scoop it up into a large bowl, using a slotted spoon; set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the sausage pieces; sauté until brown. Scoop the meat out of the pot and add it to the pork.
- Return to the Dutch oven and add drumsticks. Cook until brown all around and no longer pink. Transfer the drumsticks to the bowl along with the other meats.
- Add lamb cubes to the pot and sauté until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scoop them up with a slotted spoon, add to the bowl as well and set aside.
- Skim off most of the fat from the pot to a bowl, leaving about 2 tbsp.; set aside. Add onions and sauté until just translucent, about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to dislodge any brown bits. To this, add carrots and celery; sauté them for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for only 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and stir to combine before seasoning with Herbes de Provence, thyme leaves and freshly ground black pepper; stir until mixed.
- Return all the meat to the pot including any accumulated juices. Add beans, white wine and chicken broth or broth from the beans if preferred. With the back of a spoon, press it down to cover the beans with the liquid.
- Make a little well in the center and add our bay leaves; cover back with the beans. Spoon about 2 to 3 tbsp. of the reserved fat on top, crack more pepper and add salt.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 3 hours.
- Half an hour later, press down again on the beans to submerge them to prevent from drying out; continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a bowl, combine Panko breadcrumbs with fresh chopped parsley; mix well and set aside.
- When 30 minutes is up, evenly sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top. Return the pot to the oven and cook for 1 hour.
- 60 minutes later, gently press down on the breadcrumbs to help absorb some liquid. Return the pot to the oven for the remaining hour.
- When the time is up, remove from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving
Notes
Footnote: Click on the link to get the Garlic Sausage recipe... Garlic Sausage