Contemporary Cassoulet

Recipe Ingredients

4		Bacon slices - coarsely chopped
3 lbs	1362g / 48oz	Fully-cooked smoked sausages - cut crosswise
		Into 3/4"-thk rounds - (such as kielbasa)
2		Onions - chopped (medium)
6		Garlic cloves - chopped
1 tablespoon	15ml	Chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon	15ml	Chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup	118ml	Brandy
3		Great Northern beans - (15 oz ea) - drained
2		Diced tomatoes in juice - (14 1/2 oz ea)
1		Frozen baby lima beans - (10 oz) - thawed
1 cup	237ml	Canned low-salt chicken broth - or more if needed
3 tablespoons	45ml	Tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Ground allspice
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
1/4 cup	59ml	Olive oil
4 cups	584g / 20oz	Coarse fresh breadcrumbs
		= (made from crustless French bread)
1/2 cup	73g / 2.6oz	Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup	36g / 1.3oz	Chopped fresh parsley

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl. Add sausages to drippings in pot; saute until brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bacon.

Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add onions and garlic to pot and saute until beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in rosemary, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Add brandy and simmer until almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in canned beans, tomatoes with juices, lima beans, 1 cup broth, tomato paste, and allspice.

Return sausages and bacon to pot. Season cassoulet with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Cover pot and transfer to preheated oven; bake 30 minutes. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Uncover; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Before continuing, cover and rewarm in 350 degrees oven 40 minutes, adding more broth if dry.)

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and saute until light golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Mix in Parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over warm cassoulet. Bake until breadcrumb topping is deep golden, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle cassoulet with parsley and serve.

This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, January 2002

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