Cassoulet Toast Recipes

CASSOULET FOR TODAY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a broiler-safe Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat; brown chicken on both sides. Remove from pan., In same pan, saute onion in remaining oil over medium heat until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Add tomatoes, herbs and chicken; return to a boil., Transfer to oven; bake, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in beans and kielbasa; bake, covered, until chicken is tender, 20-25 minutes longer., Remove from oven; preheat broiler. Discard bay leaf; stir in bacon. Toss bread crumbs with parsley and garlic; sprinkle over top. Place in oven so surface of cassoulet is 4-5 in. from heat; broil until crumbs are golden brown, 2-3 minutes.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Drain the beans and put into a large heavy casserole, preferably enameled cast iron, with bacon, pork rind, garlic, 1 onion, the carrot, and the bouquet garni. Cover with the 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beans are barely tender, about 1 hour. Drain and return to casserole, discarding onion and bouquet garni.
• Add the remaining onion, the duck legs, demi-glace mixture, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the bean mixture in a colander over a bowl and reserve 5 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard bacon and pork rind. Remove the duck legs and cut each in half at the joint. Season beans with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place half the bean mixture in casserole. Add duck legs, duck sausage, and garlic sausage, and cover with remaining beans. Add reserved cooking liquid and drizzle the duck fat over the top. Cover and bake until hot and bubbling, about 2 hours. (Cassoulet may be prepared ahead to this point, then cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before proceeding).
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Uncover cassoulet and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

CASSOULET TOAST

Steps:

• Heat a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, the onions, and 3 of the garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onions and garlic start to color. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until caramelized.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, thyme, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 cup of the water. Turn the heat up to medium- high and bring to a simmer. Smash about one-eighth of the beans against the side of the pan with a fork to thicken the mixture. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl, discard the thyme, and smash the garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Rinse out the pan and return it to the stovetop. Add the confit duck leg skin-side down to the cold pan. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon water, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes (when the skin softens, scrape it off the duck leg and continue cooking alongside it; this will become the crackling). Remove the lid, turn the duck leg, and continue cooking until the leg is warmed through and starting to crisp up, turning as needed.
• Continue cooking the duck skin (as if it were a slice of bacon) until nice and crisp, keeping in mind that it will crisp more as it cools (as if it were a slice of bacon), about 3 minutes longer. Drain on a paper towel.
• Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler until it is crisp on the outside and still soft inside. Rub each slice generously with the remaining garlic clove and top each slice with about ½ cup of the beans. Shred the duck meat and divide it evenly among the toasts. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with more oil, if desired, and crumble the crackling over the top. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

ROAST VEGETABLE CASSOULET

Steps:

• Bring the beans to boil in a saucepan of cold water, simmer for 5 minutes, take off heat and cover tightly. Leave for 2 hours.
• Drain the beans, return to pan, cover with fresh cold water and add the herb bundle and vegetable quarters. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 hour until tender.
• Preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a casserole and fry the chopped onion and celery until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar and half the tarragon. Season.
• Drain beans, retaining 1.2 litres/2 pints of liquid. Discard veg and herbs. Stir 600ml/1 pint of the liquid into the tomato mixture and simmer, half-covered, for 30 minutes. Toss the squash, carrot and celeriac chunks in 5 tablespoons of oil. Season and roast in a tray for 30 minutes.
• Remove vegetables and reduce heat to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Stir beans, vegetables, mustard and half the parsley into the casserole. Add liquid if needed to make the mixture nicely moist. Check seasoning. Turn into a wide baking dish. (You can prepare to this stage the day before. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Next day, if the beans have absorbed too much liquid, moisten with bean liquid or stock.)
• Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining parsley and tarragon. Scatter over and drizzle with remaining oil. Bake for 50 minutes. (Add an extra 10 minutes if making ahead.) Serve from the dish.