Foodie Friday: Cassoulet

I ran into an online video recently of a guy making cassoulet, it is a hearty French stew made with meats and beans. I have had it a few times, and attempted making it a time or two.  I was inspired. And his cooking style was very much like mine, there is a perfect classic version, and if you have an unlimited budget and time you don't know what to do with, Julia Child probably has the one correct way to make it. If you want something very-very tasty and want to work with what is readily at hand- let's play in the kitchen. 

It is a time consuming dish to make

Ingredients: 

1 cup dried white beans - I used great northern beans - use what you have handy. The classic dish uses larger beans. 

1/3 pound of smoked bacon - chopped

1/2 pound uncooked sausage - I used an andouille - cut into one inch rounds 

4 - boneless skinless chicken thighs 

1 onion - medium dice

2 stalks celery - sliced

1 large carrot - medium dice 

4-5 mushrooms - chopped 

2 cloves garlic - minced 

1 liter chicken stock - the richer the better

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and Pepper 

Water 

I started the evening before, putting one-cup of dried white beans to soak in about 4 cups of salted water. Because we had plans in the evening, these went into the soak about 5 PM and I didn't start cooking until noon the next day, so a good long soak. The video suggested salting the water, something I had been told incorrectly would result in the beans not softening. It adds taste. 

I start by chopping the veggies and setting aside, then chop the bacon and slice the sausage. 

Start by sauteing the bacon, as it releases fat, add the onions, celery, carrots, - cook 3 to 5 minutes until the onions start to soften, add mushrooms and garlic.  Cook 3-5 minutes. 

Add in the sausage. 

Drain and add in the soaked beans. 

Stir in the chicken stock and tomato paste.

Salt and Pepper - how much? Depends on how salty the sausage and bacon are. 

Place the chicken in. 

Add water to assure that everything is submerged, plus 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of liquid above.  Stir well. The beans will absorb a couple of cups of liquid in cooking. 

Cover and place in a preheated 350 degree (f) oven. 

Check after a couple of hours, and add water if it appears to be cooking dry. 

After about 3 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking to thicken the sauce - about 1 more hour.

A word on chicken stock.  I had homemade, the few days before I had poached a whole chicken with onions, carrots and celery simmering for about 90 minutes. I removed and deboned the chicken and then simmered the bones and veggies in the liquid for another 2 hours. Strained out the bones and spent veggies and saved the stock. Made this way the stock is rich and gelatinous.  This stores well in the refrigerator for about a week, or freezes for longer.  It makes a wonderful base for soups, stews, gravy, and sauces. It brings a great depth of flavor. With the chicken I made a thick soup, and we had cold sliced chicken one evening. Basic stock making takes time, but it is worth it for the flavor you can capture, it makes basic relatively low cost ingredients go a long way.