Cassoulet

 

We had left over Char Siu Pork. We decided to make Cassoulet (our our version of it)! This heavy French dish is a favorite on a cold winter day. We remember in San Francisco a favorite French Bistro wrote on their blackboard how many days the Cassoulet had been cooking. It was in the thousands. They just kept refreshing it with more pork and beans.

This one we basically winged as to the recipe. We soaked Cannellini Beans and cooked till soft. We also had Tomatoes that we had Candied from our garden. Lastly we knew the Cassoulet needed Sausage. We had Sausage from McCall’s Meat and Fish in the freezer that was perfect to add. Finally we topped with lots of Toasted Breadcrumbs.

Cathy reviewed several recipes and combined them to make this wonderful dish.

Here is one that can serve as a starter for you. This dish allows for a lot of flexibility by the chef.

We started with Asparagus topped with sautéed Bread Crumbs.

A fabulous dinner!

Herbed White Bean and Sausage Stew

Time: 2 1/2 hours

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for serving

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, sliced 3/4-inch thick

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 medium carrots, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed and picked through

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

2 thyme sprigs

1 large rosemary sprig

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, more for serving

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add the tomato paste and cumin to the pot. Cook, stirring, until dark golden, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, 8 cups water, salt, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, adding more water if needed to make sure the beans remain submerged.

When the beans are tender, return the sausage to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into warm bowls and serve drizzled with additional vinegar and olive oil.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.