Cassoulet – Reboot

Revisiting a favorite from the Bad Wolf Kitchen; a slow-cooked french bean stew stuffed with chicken, sausage, and lardons.

I’ve rewritten this to fit my lifestyle, smaller (cook for two), less work, and hearty, tasty, and filling, with minimal leftovers.

If one has access to good quality smoked sausage, do feel free to substitute for the Italian sausage. Traditionally this uses duck, but chicken is very good and less expensive.

From Wikipedia:

Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked casserole containing meat (typically pork sausages, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white beans (haricots blancs), originating in southern France. It is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the casserole, a deep, round, earthenware pot with slanting sides.

All cassoulets are made with white beans (French: haricots blancs or lingots),[a] duck or goose confit, sausages, and additional meat. In the cassoulet of Toulouse, the meats are pork and mutton, the latter frequently a cold roast shoulder. The Carcassonne version is similar but doubles the portion of mutton and sometimes replaces the duck with partridge. The cassoulet of Castelnaudary uses a duck confit instead of mutton.

Cassoulet

Chicken, Sausage, and beans casserole, Perfect for a winters meal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 hours hrs

Soak Time 8 hours hrs

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, French

Servings 3 people

Calories 764 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 lb Cannelli Beans Picked, Rinsed, Soaked overnight
• 8 oz Thick Cut Bacon Chopped to 1/2" Strips
• 4 ea Chicken Thighs Skin On, Bone In, Flavor On
• 1 ea Yellow onion Peeled, Diced
• 2 ribs Celery Washed, Diced
• 1 ea Carrot Peeled, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic peeled, minced
• 1/2 lb Italian Sausage
• 4 cups Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 4 sprigs Thyme Fresh

Instructions

 

• Add the beans and stock to the slow cooker; set to high and bring to a simmer. Use sufficient stock to cover
• In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat add the bacon and cook until crispy and remove to a plate.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown off on both sides in the rendered fat. Remove to a plate.
• Add the sausage to the skillet and brown on all sides; remove to the plate
• Add the mirepoix to the skillet, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent and start to take color; add the garlic and cook until fragrant; thence, add to the beans
• Deglaze the skillet with the wine; scraping the fond up. Then add to the beans.
• Add the thyme to the beans; then add the sausage, bacon.
• Lay the browned chicken on top of the beans; lid up.
• Set slow cooker to low, and cook until the beans start to break down; ~ 5-6 hours.
• Taste, season, and balance flavor
• Serve with crusty bread and a side salad

Notes

I’ve written this to use a slow cooker and portioned this as a cook for two.

One can use a heavy cast iron cooker and slow cook this in the oven at ~ 275.

I’ve used chicken thighs, one could use a broken-down chicken (mixed chicken parts) as well.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 764kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 31gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1584mgPotassium: 715mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 275IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Beans, Braised, Chicken, Pork

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!