SIMPLIFIED CASSOULET WITH PORK AND KIELBASA
Serves 8
Ingredients
Chicken
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup table salt
10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed and skin removed (about 3 lbs)
Beans
1 pound dried flageolet or great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed
1 medium onion, peeled plus 1 small onion, minced
1 medium head garlic, outer papery skind removed and top 1/2 inch sliced off plus 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
6 ounces (about 6 slices) bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 (1-pound) boneless blade-end pork loin roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/2 pound kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
Croutons
6 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions
For the chicken: Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1 quart cold water in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Add the chicken, pressing out as much air as possible, seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the beans: Bring the beans, the peeled onion, head of garlic, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 8 cups water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat, to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are almost tender, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Drain the beans; discard the onion and garlic.
While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until just beginning to crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add half the bacon to the pot with the beans; transfer the remaining bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half the chicken, skinned side down, cook until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs and cook until lightly browned on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate, repeat with the remaining thighs and set aside.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat, add the pork pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and pepper to taste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Submerge the chicken in the pot, adding any accumulated juices, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until the chicken and pork are tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.
For the croutons: while the chicken is simmering, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and spread out over a rimmed baking sheet bake until light golden brown and crisp, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature and set aside. Do not turn off the oven.
Gently stir the kielbasa, drained beans, and reserved bacon into the pot with the chicken and pork; remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf and season with pepper to taste. Sprinkle the croutons evenly over the surface and bake, uncovered, until the croutons are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.
Recipe courtesy of America's Test Kitchen.
Notes: even though the title says simplified, this is a fairly long recipe to prepare, so don't expect this to be a 30-minute meals cassoulet. It also dirties a lot of dishes (in true ATK fashion).
The flavor, though, is excellent; very rich. A single bowl goes a very long way.
The CookingBites Recipe Challenge: Beans
Serves 8
Ingredients
Chicken
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup table salt
10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed and skin removed (about 3 lbs)
Beans
1 pound dried flageolet or great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed
1 medium onion, peeled plus 1 small onion, minced
1 medium head garlic, outer papery skind removed and top 1/2 inch sliced off plus 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
6 ounces (about 6 slices) bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 (1-pound) boneless blade-end pork loin roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/2 pound kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
Croutons
6 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions
For the chicken: Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1 quart cold water in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Add the chicken, pressing out as much air as possible, seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the beans: Bring the beans, the peeled onion, head of garlic, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 8 cups water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat, to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are almost tender, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Drain the beans; discard the onion and garlic.
While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until just beginning to crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add half the bacon to the pot with the beans; transfer the remaining bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high and add half the chicken, skinned side down, cook until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs and cook until lightly browned on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate, repeat with the remaining thighs and set aside.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot. Return the pot to medium heat, add the pork pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and pepper to taste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Submerge the chicken in the pot, adding any accumulated juices, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until the chicken and pork are tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.
For the croutons: while the chicken is simmering, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and spread out over a rimmed baking sheet bake until light golden brown and crisp, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature and set aside. Do not turn off the oven.
Gently stir the kielbasa, drained beans, and reserved bacon into the pot with the chicken and pork; remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf and season with pepper to taste. Sprinkle the croutons evenly over the surface and bake, uncovered, until the croutons are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.
Recipe courtesy of America's Test Kitchen.
Notes: even though the title says simplified, this is a fairly long recipe to prepare, so don't expect this to be a 30-minute meals cassoulet. It also dirties a lot of dishes (in true ATK fashion).
The flavor, though, is excellent; very rich. A single bowl goes a very long way.
The CookingBites Recipe Challenge: Beans