French Cassoulet Recipe
Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked casserole that hails from the South of France. Its name is derived from "casserole," referring to the traditional clay pot used for cooking it. Originally a peasant dish, this hearty meal typically features pork, poultry, beans, and aromatic vegetables, simmered for hours in a flavorful vegetable stock.
Ingredients
- Dried cannellini beans, soaked and drained – 2 cups
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks – 6 pieces
- Salt pork, cut into large cubes – 8 oz.
- Garlic sausages, chopped into slices – 4
- Onion, finely chopped – 1
- Carrot, chopped – 1
- Celery, chopped – 1 stalk
- Chicken stock – 2 quarts
- Parsley – 1 tbsp
- Bay leaves – 2
- Garlic – 4 cloves
- Salt and pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 275°F.
- Heat oil in a large, flameproof casserole dish over your stovetop.
- Brown the salt pork for 5 minutes until crispy on all sides, but not completely cooked. Remove from pan and leave to one side.
- Season chicken thighs and drumsticks with pepper and add to the casserole dish with hot oil, leave to brown underneath for 6-8 minutes, flip over and brown the top for 3 minutes. Remove and put aside with the browned salt pork.
- Next, add the sausages to the same casserole dish and brown both sides for 3-6 minutes. Once browned, remove from the dish and leave with the other browned meats.
- Add your chopped onions to the dish and cook until translucent.
- Next, add your carrot, celery, beans, garlic, parsley, bay leaves and stock to the casserole dish. Bring to a simmer over high heat and mix well.
- Reduce to a low heat, put the lid on the dish and simmer for 45 minutes, until the beans are tender.
- With a mixing spoon, break the crust that forms over the top of the mixture and stir into the liquid.
- Add all of the browned meats back into the dish and stir to combine.
- Put the lid back on the casserole dish and place in the oven at 275°F for 2 hours, remove from the oven to break the crust and stir every 30-60 minutes.
- After 2 hours, replace the lid on the pan and leave it to cook undisturbed on a low heat of 100°F for another 2-3 hours.
- Remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 798kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 43gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 1702mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8g
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