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Cassoulet

Prep Time:  1-2 hours

     Cook Time:  2.5 hours

     Serves:  6-8

Cassoulet
Photo by Sunny Frantz

For Elena Terry, time is the secret ingredient that transforms simple, dried beans into something truly grand in her take on the traditional French stew. Packed with protein, this economical dish ends up beautifully composed—perfect both for feeding the family or stunning dinner guests. Terry loves spending a cold day slowly crafting this cassoulet along with a crusty bread that is a must to accompany this cozy dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 smoked turkey leg
  • 18 cups water
  • 2 pounds dried white beans (such as great northern or cannelli)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cups chicken stock (more if needed)
  • 1½ to 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
  • 2 tablespoons duck fat
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 5 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 ounces tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (Terry prefers French baguette)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions

  1. For Beans: In a heavy-bottomed pot, add the water and turkey leg and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the meat is tender and is pulling away from the bone. While the turkey is cooking, sort through the beans, removing any small rocks or irregular colored beans and rinse. Gently remove the turkey leg from the water and set it aside to cool.
  2. Add the rinsed beans to the pot and bring the liquid back to a boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover the pot for 1 hour.
  3. When the turkey is cool to the touch, gently remove all the meat from the bone. Remove the skin and chunk the leg meat.
  4. After the beans have rested, check the liquid level to make sure the beans are still thoroughly covered with broth. If needed, add some chicken stock until the beans have 1 inch of liquid over the top. Bring the beans to a simmer.
  5. Create an herb bouquet by wrapping and tying the thyme, rosemary, garlic cloves and bay leaves in washed cheesecloth. Add the herb bouquet and turkey leg bone to the beans and simmer on low for about 1½ hours or until soft. Keep an eye on the liquid level making sure that the beans are always covered with broth, adding more if necessary.
  6. When the beans are soft, gently remove them from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a heat-safe bowl.
  7. For Cassoulet: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Form the sausage into 6-8 small 1½-inch patties. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brow the patties on both sides.
  8. In a separate sauté pan, warm the duck fat and add the onions to lightly brown them. Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 3–5 minutes or until the alcohol has thoroughly cooked out. Add any chicken stock you have left from cooking the beans and simmer until warm.
  9. In a 6-quart casserole dish, pour a hearty layer of beans on the bottom, followed by a layer of sausage patties and chunked turkey. Repeat the process ending with a layer of beans. Ladle in the onion mixture until the casserole is lightly covered with liquid.
  10. Combine the melted butter, breadcrumbs and parsley in a small bowl. Top the casserole with the mixture.
  11. Gently place the casserole in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the breadcrumb mixture is starting to brown. Remove from the oven and gently tap on the top of the casserole to break the crust. Do this in several places in the crust to let some of the liquid seep through.
  12. Turn down the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the beans have absorbed most of the liquid. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Top with any additional chopped fresh parsley or fresh crema and serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Notes