Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet

A cassoulet is a rich, slowed cooked, traditional French dish originating in the 14th Century. The ingredients contain pork, chicken and white beans. The main ingredients are cooked separately and then combined to have a slower cooking time together in a deep Dutch oven. It is then topped with buttered bread crumbs to make a delicious crust.

1 pound dried white beans, rinsed, sorted and soaked for 1 hour in cold water

1 t. salt

¼ t. ground black pepper

1 pound bacon strips, diced into 1 inch pieces

1 large white onions, peeled, halved and sliced into thin strips
1 lb. ground sausage

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 pound chicken legs

1 cup dry white wine (you may substitute chicken stock)

1 bouquet garni**

3 gloves garlic, chopped

1 T. tomato paste

¾ t. salt

¼ t. black pepper

2 carrots, peel and cut crosswise into ¼ inch slices

½ cup bread crumbs

1 t. finely chopped fresh thyme

4 t. melted butter

**a bouquet garni is simply a few sprigs of thyme, 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley and a bay leaf tied together with twine

Place the soaked beans in a large Dutch oven and cover them with fresh cold water. Bring the beans to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook them until they begin to become tender. This will take about an hour or so. Add 1 t. salt and ¼ t. ground black pepper to the beans and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about half an hour. Remove the beans from the heat, drain carefully to discard any additional liquid and set the beans aside.

In a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, cook the bacon pieces until they are just beginning to turn brown. Transfer them to a plate. 

Add the sliced onions to the pan and sauté them for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so all the slices will brown nice and even. Let them do their thing until they get a light golden brown. Remove the onion slices to the plate with the bacon to keep it company for awhile. 

Next you’re going to crumble up the sausage and brown it until done and then transfer it to a separate bowl.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Carefully drain all but about 4 T. of fat from the skillet. Add the chicken breast pieces and brown them over medium-high heat. The chicken does not have to cook through because it will spend a lot of time in the oven. You just want a nice brown color. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the sausage. Now brown the chicken legs and when browned, move them to the bowl as well.

Combine the bacon, onions, sausage, chicken pieces, tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, bouquet garni, tomato paste, ¾ t. salt and ¼ t. ground black pepper in a large Dutch oven. Cover with the lid (or heavy duty foil) and bake for 25 minutes. 

Remove from oven, stir gently and add the carrots. Replace the lid and return to the oven for about 20 more minutes. By this time your kitchen will smell heavenly. Trust me.

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, add the white beans you cooked earlier and gently stir them in. In a separate, small bowl, toss the bread crumbs, parsley and thyme with the melted butter. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the casserole and bake it uncovered this time for 1 hour. 

And here it is right out of the oven.

Discard the bouquet garni and serve the cassoulet piping hot. Slice some thick French bread and top with lots of butter. It’s okay…you don’t get to eat like this every day.

Adapted from About.Com French Food