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Last night I made Cassoulet. I believe my first reaction to tasting it this morning was...OH. MY. GODS. It's one of the best things I've made in quite some time (and I make plenty of Good Stuff TM). Cassoulet is a classic French peasant soupy stew, with beans and generally pork and/or lamb, smoked sausage and often duck or goose as well. I pinched bits from three different recipes and then added my own adaptions. :) I made mine with chicken, bacon (salt pork actually) and smoked sausage.
I won't lie. There was significantly more prep than there generally is with crockpot cooking, but trust me, it's SO worth it. Granted, I think this is more likely something to be made on a weekend than during the week BECAUSE of the prep, but it really is worth the effort. The *quick soak* method for the beans really does rock! Although, if you really wanted to cut down on prep, you could use a couple of cans of cooked beans, drained and rinsed well. :)
1 lb dried Great Northern beans (rinsed, drained & picked over)
4 oz slab bacon (or the aforementioned salt pork), skin removed and sliced into 1/4 -1/2 inch strips
1 tbsp veggie oil (more if needed)
3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 med shallot, sliced
2 leeks (white part only), sliced into half moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp chicken base
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry OR dry white wine
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1. In a large pot put the beans and enough cold water to cover PLUS 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour. Drain well. Cut leeks in half, then slice into half rounds. Soak in cold water to clean leeks.
2. Return beans to pot and add enough cold water to cover PLUS 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat , reduce heat to low and simmer until tender (about 30-40 min). Drain, rinse well under cold running water. Transfer to slow cooker.
3. In a medium saucepan, cover the bacon/salt pork with cold water. Bring to a simmer over med-high heat and simmer for 2 min. Drain, rinse well under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. (This will remove any excess salt, so your dish isn't too salty. DO NOT FORGET TO DO THIS!)
4. Heat oil over med. heat in large skillet. Add the bacon and cook until brown, turning often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
5. Increase heat to med high. Add more oil if needed. In batches, cook the chicken, turning often until browned (about 5 min.). Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate, and season with salt and pepper. Stir the chicken and bacon into the beans. Add chicken base.
6. Add the shallots and leeks to the skillet (using still more oil, if needed). Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened (about 5 min). Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring often. Add water, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Deglaze further with the sherry. Add the mixture to the beans.
7. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, until beans are tender. During the last hour, stir in sausage.
Classic Cassoulet has a bread crumb topping. I have no bread crumbs and frankly, I don't really like them. So I used a bit of a trick that worked really well for this (and added another flavor layer). Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in skillet. Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese. Stir until browned and crumbly. Sprinkle over cassoulet and serve from slow cooker.
I took some to work for my lunch today, and it made me SO happy, I was even able to smile at my boss. Now THAT takes some doing, eh? I can't wait to see how it is tomorrow, when the flavors have melded even more.
I won't lie. There was significantly more prep than there generally is with crockpot cooking, but trust me, it's SO worth it. Granted, I think this is more likely something to be made on a weekend than during the week BECAUSE of the prep, but it really is worth the effort. The *quick soak* method for the beans really does rock! Although, if you really wanted to cut down on prep, you could use a couple of cans of cooked beans, drained and rinsed well. :)
1 lb dried Great Northern beans (rinsed, drained & picked over)
4 oz slab bacon (or the aforementioned salt pork), skin removed and sliced into 1/4 -1/2 inch strips
1 tbsp veggie oil (more if needed)
3 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 med shallot, sliced
2 leeks (white part only), sliced into half moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp chicken base
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry OR dry white wine
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1. In a large pot put the beans and enough cold water to cover PLUS 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour. Drain well. Cut leeks in half, then slice into half rounds. Soak in cold water to clean leeks.
2. Return beans to pot and add enough cold water to cover PLUS 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat , reduce heat to low and simmer until tender (about 30-40 min). Drain, rinse well under cold running water. Transfer to slow cooker.
3. In a medium saucepan, cover the bacon/salt pork with cold water. Bring to a simmer over med-high heat and simmer for 2 min. Drain, rinse well under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. (This will remove any excess salt, so your dish isn't too salty. DO NOT FORGET TO DO THIS!)
4. Heat oil over med. heat in large skillet. Add the bacon and cook until brown, turning often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
5. Increase heat to med high. Add more oil if needed. In batches, cook the chicken, turning often until browned (about 5 min.). Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate, and season with salt and pepper. Stir the chicken and bacon into the beans. Add chicken base.
6. Add the shallots and leeks to the skillet (using still more oil, if needed). Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened (about 5 min). Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring often. Add water, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Deglaze further with the sherry. Add the mixture to the beans.
7. Pour in the chicken broth and stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, until beans are tender. During the last hour, stir in sausage.
Classic Cassoulet has a bread crumb topping. I have no bread crumbs and frankly, I don't really like them. So I used a bit of a trick that worked really well for this (and added another flavor layer). Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in skillet. Add 1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese. Stir until browned and crumbly. Sprinkle over cassoulet and serve from slow cooker.
I took some to work for my lunch today, and it made me SO happy, I was even able to smile at my boss. Now THAT takes some doing, eh? I can't wait to see how it is tomorrow, when the flavors have melded even more.
