medtran49
Forum GOD!
This is a compilation of a couple of recipes. I picked and chose what ingredients I liked to use, as well as combined the techniques.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 pound dried cannellini beans
Kosher salt
1 quart unsalted homemade or store-bought unsalted chicken stock
3 packets (3/4 ounces) unflavored gelatin, such as Knox, (see note)
2 tablespoons duck fat or oil from the chicken/duck confit
8 ounces good quality slab bacon (applewood or alder smoked), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 to 6 pieces of confit chicken or duck thighs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound garlic sausage (2 to 4 links depending on size)
1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, unpeeled, cut into 3-inch sections
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch sections
1 whole head garlic, cut in half crosswise
4 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
Garnish
Spinach pesto (optional, see recipe below)
Crostini (optional, see recipe below)
NOTE: If you are using homemade stock that thickens and gels when cooled, omit the gelatin. If your homemade stock does not gel or you are using store bought, add the gelatin to the stock and let it dissolve, mixing well, before adding the stock to the pot.
Place beans in a colander, rinse and go through beans to make sure there is nothing in them that shouldn't be. Place at least a quart of cold tap water in a large bowl, add 1 Tbsp salt (trust me), mix well to dissolve salt, add beans with additional cold tap water to cover by at least an inch and soak overnight.
Melt the confit fat in a large heavy dutch oven over medium to medium high heat, add the bacon and brown. Remove. Add the sausage and brown, then remove. Then, add the chicken or duck thighs, brown and remove.
Add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent and just barely starting to brown. Add remainder of ingredients (other than meats) and bring to a simmer. Cook covered for about 45 minutes until beans are tender, but still are firm enough to hold their shape. Remove the carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaves, cloves, and garlic pieces (if cloves are still intact, you can use these (squeeze out, mash and add some EVOO) instead of cooking more garlic for the crostini; otherwise. Just mash, mix with some soft butter or oil, and use as a spread for bread.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the bacon bits back in the pot, stir. Lay the chicken/duck pieces and the sausages on top so that the chicken is skin side up. Beans should be barely covered with liquid at this point. Add water or additional stock, pouring down the side of the pot if necessary. Place pot in oven and bake, uncovered, for about 2 hours until a thin crust forms on top, checking every 30 minutes to make sure beans are still barely covered with liquid, adding additional stock as needed (pouring down side of pot as above). Break crust, shaking pot to distribute liquid that wells up, and continue to cook for anywhere from 1-3 hours (depending on oven/pot/amount you are cooking) until a thick dark brown crust forms. Serve.
Spinach Pesto
1/2 pound spinach leaves
5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds or walnuts
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh white pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Place a good sized dollop on your serving of cassoulet.
Garlic Parmesan Crostini
1/2 cup olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced\
OR use the mashed cloves of garlic as above with EVOO added
French style baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until garlic is golden. Remove from heat. Brush the garlic oil on the top and bottom of each slice of bread. Place the bread in a single layer over a sheet pan. Sprinkle each slice with Parmgiano Reggiano. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes on the middle oven rack until cheese melts and bread lightly browns. Serve.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 pound dried cannellini beans
Kosher salt
1 quart unsalted homemade or store-bought unsalted chicken stock
3 packets (3/4 ounces) unflavored gelatin, such as Knox, (see note)
2 tablespoons duck fat or oil from the chicken/duck confit
8 ounces good quality slab bacon (applewood or alder smoked), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 to 6 pieces of confit chicken or duck thighs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound garlic sausage (2 to 4 links depending on size)
1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 carrot, unpeeled, cut into 3-inch sections
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch sections
1 whole head garlic, cut in half crosswise
4 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
Garnish
Spinach pesto (optional, see recipe below)
Crostini (optional, see recipe below)
NOTE: If you are using homemade stock that thickens and gels when cooled, omit the gelatin. If your homemade stock does not gel or you are using store bought, add the gelatin to the stock and let it dissolve, mixing well, before adding the stock to the pot.
Place beans in a colander, rinse and go through beans to make sure there is nothing in them that shouldn't be. Place at least a quart of cold tap water in a large bowl, add 1 Tbsp salt (trust me), mix well to dissolve salt, add beans with additional cold tap water to cover by at least an inch and soak overnight.
Melt the confit fat in a large heavy dutch oven over medium to medium high heat, add the bacon and brown. Remove. Add the sausage and brown, then remove. Then, add the chicken or duck thighs, brown and remove.
Add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent and just barely starting to brown. Add remainder of ingredients (other than meats) and bring to a simmer. Cook covered for about 45 minutes until beans are tender, but still are firm enough to hold their shape. Remove the carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaves, cloves, and garlic pieces (if cloves are still intact, you can use these (squeeze out, mash and add some EVOO) instead of cooking more garlic for the crostini; otherwise. Just mash, mix with some soft butter or oil, and use as a spread for bread.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the bacon bits back in the pot, stir. Lay the chicken/duck pieces and the sausages on top so that the chicken is skin side up. Beans should be barely covered with liquid at this point. Add water or additional stock, pouring down the side of the pot if necessary. Place pot in oven and bake, uncovered, for about 2 hours until a thin crust forms on top, checking every 30 minutes to make sure beans are still barely covered with liquid, adding additional stock as needed (pouring down side of pot as above). Break crust, shaking pot to distribute liquid that wells up, and continue to cook for anywhere from 1-3 hours (depending on oven/pot/amount you are cooking) until a thick dark brown crust forms. Serve.
Spinach Pesto
1/2 pound spinach leaves
5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or almonds or walnuts
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh white pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Place a good sized dollop on your serving of cassoulet.
Garlic Parmesan Crostini
1/2 cup olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced\
OR use the mashed cloves of garlic as above with EVOO added
French style baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until garlic is golden. Remove from heat. Brush the garlic oil on the top and bottom of each slice of bread. Place the bread in a single layer over a sheet pan. Sprinkle each slice with Parmgiano Reggiano. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes on the middle oven rack until cheese melts and bread lightly browns. Serve.
Last edited:
