CASSOULET
One of the masterpieces of country French cooking, cassoulet is a slow-cooked stew of white beans and an assortment of meats. This rustic beauty never disappoints. The name of the dish derives from the earthenware pot (cassole) it is traditionally cooked in.
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 chicken thighs
2 pounds lamb shoulder with bones, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound andouille sausage
1 pound spiced turkey sausage
3 cups coarsely chopped carrots
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) peeled Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with juices
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Rinse the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and sauté until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, sauté the lamb over medium-high heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Set aside. Season the chicken and the lamb well with salt and pepper.
4. Pour off all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Brown the sausages well over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
5. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large oven-proof casserole over medium-low heat. Add the carrots and the onions and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, the thyme, sage, bay leaves, and allspice. Stir the reserved beans into the casserole. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
7. Stir the remaining 1 1/2 cups of broth into the casserole. Arrange the reserved meats among the beans. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, stirring once. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the parsley 10 minutes before it finishes cooking. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley before serving.
8 portions