It's been several weeks since I last posted a recipe: the holidays, coming down with Covid sort of got in the way. I was double vaccinated and boosted but I still contracted Covid, it was like the "Flu" on steroids, ugh not fun.
But since I was in lock-down for over 10 days I did have fun working on several recipes that I had a chance to rework, this being one of them. I have been playing with Cassoulets for several years now and I have many recipes in several stages of creation. So I decided to revisit many of them during this time. Now they are a bit time-consuming but the time and effort are so worth it and the dishes taste even better as leftovers the next day, so I tend to make more than I need for dinner.
This will be the first of 5 cassoulet recipes I will be posting over the next few weeks. This one is great for this time of year, hardy, warming, and goes great with a nice wine and a crispy baguette. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Beans
1lb dried French Cassoulet Beans
2 quarts of homemade Veggie stock
1 cup dry vermouth
1 package Seaweed (0.17ounces)
2 shallots, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
4 sprigs of Thyme
3 Bay leaves
2 tablespoons of Porchi Stock Granulars (Bauer Brand)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper
Chicken Confit
2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and legs
1 cup olive oil
2 shallots, minced
10 cloves of garlic minced
6 juniper berries
4 sprigs of Thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper
Cassoulet
4 cups of beans plus a cup of cooking liquid
2 Andouille Sausage, sliced in big pieces
1 thick slice of sourdough bread
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes
Directions
Overnight prep
Chicken Confit
Place chicken into a vacuum bag, add shallots, garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries, and seal. Place in fridge overnight.
Beans
Place dried beans in a nonreactive bowl, add 1 quart of the veggie stock. It should cover the beans; if not, add some water. Cover and let sit overnight on the counter.
Next Day
Early Mourning
Chicken
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
Remove chicken from the vacuum bag and place the entire contents into a deep Dutch oven along with the oil, bay leaves, Thyme and season well. Cover with foil, then add the lid to the Dutch oven and slow bake for two and half hours. Remove from oven and set aside for about 4 hours to cool.
Beans
In another Dutch oven, place 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium-high heat; once melted and bubbly, add shallots and peppers and saute until soft. Add beans with any liquid to the Dutch oven and the remaining veggie stock, vermouth, Thyme, bay leaves, seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer “Crack” the covered (when the lids are mostly on but it is to the side a bit to let off steam) for about 3 to 4 hours until beans are soft and the liquid has reduced by a third.
Later that day
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Cassoulet
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, remove a 1/3 cup of oil from the Chicken Dutch oven and add to the skillet; once shimmering, add onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Now add garlic and saute for an additional minute. Next, add tomatoes, bring to a boil and saute for an additional 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Next, transfers 4 cups of beans from their Dutch oven and about ½ cup of liquid. Bring to a boil, taste, and season accordingly.
Transfer bean mixture to a large baking dish about 3 quarts in size. Nestle the chicken into beans, skin side up, arrange tuck sausage around the chicken. Using a slotted spoon, remove some of the solids from the Chicken Dutch oven: the garlic, shallots, and add to the baking dish.
Place baking dish into the oven and bake until chicken skin is nice a crisp, about 2 hours.
Drain the liquids from the chicken's Dutch oven through a mesh screen and set aside any solids.
Place the bread into a food processor and pulse into medium size crumbs. Place in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of the strained chicken liquid to the bowl, season, and toss.
After the cassoulet has baked for about 2 hours, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until crumbs are golden, not burnt.
Remove and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Note: Use the chicken liquid to roast some veggies; it will make an excellent addition.