Poor Man’s Cassoulet

I love beans; they’re my desert island food.  Very few foods are so nutrient-packed that you can actually live off them (although you may not be the most pleasant person to be around).

Considering cassoulet’s origins are peasant, I’ve always been perplexed by the quantity and expense of the meats called for in modern-day recipes.  Surely, the dish began as a way of making a little meat go a long way.  Bearing that in mind, my cassoulet incorporates affordable meats, in modest quantities.  Think beans with meat, not meat with beans. 

You could easily start this a day or two before you serve it; the taste will only improve on standing. 

 

Brown separately in Dutch oven:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 lb Italian sausages

½ lb bacon, cut into lardons (cook until not quite crisp)

Remove meat, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.  Discard excess fat.

To pot, add:

1 lb navy or great northern beans (soaked overnight & drained)

1-2 carrots, diced (depending on size)

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

½ head garlic, peeled & chopped

½ c white wine

1 large bay leaf

1 t dried thyme

Chicken stock and/or water to cover

A few stalks parsley (lay on top of liquid)

Bake in a 325^o oven, covered, for 2-1/2 hours (check for doneness at the 2 hour mark), stirring at half time.  Remove parsley & bay leaf. 

Add:

398 ml can diced tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1-1/2 t kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bacon

Sausages, diagonally sliced

Chicken thighs, diced

You can stop at this point if you want to make this ahead of time.  Cover & refrigerate, then proceed with the next steps on the day you’re serving.

Bake, covered, in a 350^o oven for 1 hour. 

In food processor, combine:

2 slices bread

the remaining half a head of garlic, peeled

a small handful of parsley

Pulse until evenly combined.  Toss with:
3-4 T melted butter or olive oil until it's the texture of damp sand.

At the end of the hour, remove from oven and increase temperature to 400^o.  Sprinkle the top evenly with the crumbs.  Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered, until golden brown & crusty.  Allow to sit for ten minutes prior to serving.

Serves 6 to 8.