Hey y’all,
Cassoulet
Y’all gotta try this dish, it’s called Cassoulet and it’s a French dish that is just what you need on a cool fall day. And don’t worry, I got a recipe from a chef who knows how to bring the heat.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Great Northern beans, soaked overnight or quick soaked
- 2 quarts chicken stock, plus more as needed
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 4-5 inch pieces
- 1 pound duck confit
- 1 pound pork sausages, such as garlic or andouille sausage
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut into large pieces
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Rinse and drain the soaked beans and put them in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid. Add the chicken stock and enough water to cover the beans by about an inch.
- Add the pork shoulder, duck confit, sausages, bacon, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, black pepper, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper to the pot.
- Stir everything together and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Then put the lid on and transfer the pot to the oven.
- Cook the cassoulet for 4-5 hours (or until the pork is very tender), stirring occasionally and adding more chicken stock or water as needed to keep everything covered.
- Once it’s done, remove the pot from the oven and let it cool for a bit. Then take out the pork shoulder pieces and let them cool on a separate plate.
- Once the pork has cooled, pull it apart with two forks and discard any bones, skin, or fat (or save them for making stock).
- Take out the bay leaves and thyme stems from the cassoulet and discard them.
- Using a large spoon, skim off any excess fat floating on top of the beans (or use a fat separator).
- Serve the cassoulet in bowls or deep plates with the pulled pork on top.
Y’all, this dish is seriously amazing. It’s perfect for a cozy dinner with friends and it’ll warm you right up. Give it a try!
