Cassoulet

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So, it looks like I ‘m stuck in France, at least in the Kitchen at home……….

 

 

 

 

 

There is no dish in the Southwest France more iconic and cherished, than the cassoulet.

This  rich and  hearty slow-simmered stew has peasant roots and is made with of  pork ,  duck or garlic sausages, confit (typically duck), pork, and sometimes mutton, pork skin (couennes) and Tarbais white beans (haricots blancs), originating in  the New World , more than likely first cultivated in Mexico and imported to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Subsequently, Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, facilitated the mass importation of the white bean, which started to be cultivated extensively throughout Southwest France.

The dish is said to have originated in the town of Castelnaudary, and is particularly popular in the neighboring towns of Toulouse and Carcassonne. It is associated with the region once known as the province of Languedoc.The dish is  named after its traditional cooking vessel, the casserole, a deep, round, conical e arthenware pot with slanting sides.

Legend has it that the first cassoulet is claimed by the city of Castelnaudary, which was under siege by the British during the Hundred Years’  War (1337 to 1453) . The beleaguered townspeople gathered up the ingredients they could find and made a large stew to nourish and bolster their defenders. The meal was so hearty and fortifying that the soldiers handily dispelled the invaders, saving the city from occupation. But the origin of cassoulet is probably the result of more global interactions than the Castelnaudary legend would suggest.

Since its composition is based on local  availability, cassoulet varies from town to town in Southwest France. In Castelnaudary, cassoulet is prepared with duck confit, pork shoulder and sausage. In Carcassonne a cassoulet will typically have mutton, and the Toulouse version has duck confit, Toulouse sausage, and is breaded on top. In Auch, only duck or goose meat is used, and crumbs are never added on top. And each town believes they make the one true cassoulet. Regardless of the which town has the most complete recipe, the best versions are cooked for hours for  several days,  until the beans and meat meld into a dish of luxuriant, velvety richness.

The French have always taken their food  and the sanctity of cassoulet very  seriously that there is a brotherhood – the Grande Confrérie du Cassoulet  de Castelnaudary– that defends the glory and quality of cassoulet in Castelnaudary, in part by conducting surprise taste tests of the cassoulets offered by local chefs. Since 1999, the Brotherhood has organized competitions and fairs featuring cassoulet . And there is an Academie Universelle du Cassoulet, whose members promote the cassoulet and its significant cultural heritage (they even have a theme song).

You will need plenty of time and patience when making a cassoulet, Prepared in advance, it’s an excellent option for entertaining — especially on cold winter nights when the  cold weather calls for a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. 

 

Bon Apetite!

 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound dried Tarbias beans
2 1/2 quarts unsalted chicken broth (10 cups)
3 ounces salt pork
2 duck confit legs
8 ounces fresh French garlic sausage
4 ounces boneless pork shoulder
4 ounces fresh pork skin
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Day 1:
Place 1 pound dried great northern beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover the beans by 2 to 3 inches. Soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.

Day 2:
Boil the beans for 5 minutes. Drain the beans. Place the beans in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a rapid boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Drain again.

Bring 2 1/2 quarts unsalted chicken stock or broth to a boil over medium-high heat in the same pot. Add the beans, bring back to a boil, and skim off any scum. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered until the beans are just tender but still whole and unbroken, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Cut the meats. Dice 3 ounces salt pork. Halve 2 duck confit legs between the joint so that you have 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs. Cut 8 ounces garlic sausage into 2-inch pieces. Cut 4 ounces boneless pork shoulder or belly into 2-inch chunks. Cut 4 ounces fresh pork skin into 2-inch squares if using.

Make a salt pork and garlic paste. Place the salt pork and 3 garlic cloves in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process into a sticky paste, about 15 seconds. (Alternatively, chop by hand into a paste.) Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sear the duck and pork. Place the duck skin-side down in a large frying pan over medium-low heat and cook until golden-brown, 5 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the sausage to the pan and cook into browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Add the pork belly or shoulder and cook until browned on a few sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate. Refrigerate the meats until ready to use.

Cool the beans. When the beans are ready, remove from the heat and let cool until warm to the touch, about 1 hour.

Season the beans. Add the garlic-pork paste, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the beans and stir gently to combine, breaking up the paste so that is it evenly distributed.

Drain the beans. Pour the bean mixture through a strainer fitted over a large bowl.

Line the cooking vessel. Use a French clay cassole if you have one. Otherwise you can use a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed, oven safe pot. Line the bottom of the vessel with the cut pork skin if using.

Assemble the cassoulet. Layer half of the beans on top of the pork skin. Place the duck confit and pork shoulder or belly on the beans. Layer the remaining beans over the duck and pork. Top with the sausages, nestling them into the beans until just their tops are visible.

Top with cooking liquid. Pour enough of the bean cooking liquid into the cassoulet to barely cover the beans. Sprinkle a dusting of freshly ground black pepper across the surface. You can immediately move on to the next step and bake it for 3 hours, or the cassoulet can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Refrigerate the remaining bean cooking liquid.

Bake the cassoulet for 3 hours. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325ºF. Bake the cassoulet uncovered for 3 hours. While it is cooking, it will develop a brown crust on top. Pierce the crust and moisten the surface by spooning some of the cooking liquid over it, taking care not to disturb the layers below. Allow the crust to re-form 2 or 3 times. If the beans start to look dry, moisten them with several spoonfuls of extra bean-cooking liquid or chicken broth. Let the cassoulet cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 3:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325ºF. Uncover the cassoulet and bake for 1 1/2 hours, breaking the crust with a spoon and moistening the surface at least twice. If the beans look dry, add spoonfuls of extra bean-cooking liquid or chicken broth. You can serve the cassoulet now, or let it cool to room temperature and cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 4:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325ºF. Heat the cassoulet for 1 1/2 hours, moistening with extra bean-cooking liquid or chicken broth as necessary. Serve immediately in its vessel, gently simmering and unstirred along with a simple green salad dressed in a sharp vinaigrette, a loaf of crusty bread, and a full-bodied red wine.

 

 

Cook’s Notes:

Beans substitution: Great White Northern beans of Cannelli Beans will work well with this recipe.

Garlic sausage substitution: Fresh pork sausage, such as a mild, sweet Italian sausage without fennel can be substituted for the garlic sausage.

Salt pork substitution: You can use bacon but it is not traditional and does add a distinct smokiness, which is not unpleasant but cassoulet purists would disapprove.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days.

 

 

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Turkey Breast Roulade With Garlic and Rosemary

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Turkey Breast Roulade With Garlic and Rosemary

Photo Credit: Christopher Simpson, The New York Times, 2020.

 
Lately, most home cooks have been  looking for alternatives to  cooking whole turkey, for the upcoming holidays, especially in the middle of the pandemic. This recipe adapted from Ina Garten provides an elegant presentation of a turkey roulade without having to deal with the left over meat in cooking a traditional turkey.  The recipe included fennel seeds, and  if you don’t like  the taste of fennel seeds,  you can surely leave them out. The garlic, sage and rosemary  that are also used in this recipe will give this roast the flavors of an Italian porchetta, and it will still be fragrant, juicy and delicious without them.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten
New York Times, 2020

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
¾ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
6 garlic cloves, minced  
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves, plus 4 whole sage leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 whole butterflied boneless, skin-on turkey breast (about 4 to 5 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 cup dry white wine, such as Chablis (See Cook’s Notes)

Directions:
The day before,  set the turkey breast on a cutting board, skin side down.  Using a meat mallet, pound out the turkey to an even thickness of about 1 inch, and salt generously (dry brine). Place on a plate , cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator over night.

The following day,  heat the oven to 350° F.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel seeds and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the chopped sage and the rosemary; set aside to cool.

Before filling, remove the skin in one piece and set aside. Sprinkle the turkey with  1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Once the onion mixture has cooled, spread it evenly on the meat. Grate the butter and sprinkle it on top.   Arrange the  prosciutto on top, to totally cover the filling and meat.

Starting at one long end of the turkey breast, roll the meat up jelly-roll style to make a compact cylindrical roulade, ending with the seam side down. Arrange the skin over the turkey roulade. This way it’s all crispy skin on the outside and no soft flabby skin rolled up inside. Tie the roulade tightly with kitchen twine at 2 to 2 1/2-inch intervals to ensure that it will roast evenly. Slip the whole sage leaves under the twine down the center of the roulade.

Place the roulade, seam side down, in a roasting pan and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Brush the skin with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour the wine and 1 cup water into the roasting pan, surrounding the turkey with the liquids without pouring them directly over the roulade. Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature is 150 °F.

Remove from the oven, cover the turkey with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the string, slice the roulade crosswise in 1/2-inch-thick slices, and serve warm with the pan juices.

Cook’s Notes:
If you prefer, you can substitute 1 ¼ cups of chicken broth for the wine.

Also note that you can add a handful of  fresh spinach to the filling, which  will  enhance the flavor profile of this dish.

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Grilled Quail with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

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Readily available in most supermarkets, quail packs a lot of flavor for such a diminutive bird. It also makes a divine alternative to traditional barbecue chicken if you’ve got a smaller crowds due to COVID19 this year. To give the bird a bit of  Southern flair,  they are brushed it with a traditional Alabama White barbecue sauce; its tanginess and subtle spice is a fine foil to the slightly gamey flavor of the birds.

Quail only requires a short amount of cooking time over high heat to reach the proper doneness of medium rare. Since the bird has so little natural fat, cooking beyond medium-rare runs the risk of developing a grainy texture in the meat.

Alabama white sauce was made famous by Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. Alabama white sauce is mayonnaise based, instead of tomato based, which gives it a great creamy flavor profile. Smoked chicken may be the most famous vessel for transporting this delicious, tangy and smooth sauce into your mouth, but it’s just the beginning! Alabama white sauce is incredibly versatile and has become a BBQ staple sauce for good reason. It offers the ideal balance of flavors to enhance all types of smoked or grilled meats and vegetables. If you are looking to change up your taste buds during this summer of grilling, try the white sauce on ribs or smoked turkey. You ca also use it as a tangy vegetable dip or use it as a dressing for cole slaw!

As an alternative, please feel free to use your favorite bottled barbecue sauce for this dish, to keep things easy. You can also prepare the quail indoors, in the oven, using a grill pan.

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided use
1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided use
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce
2 packs Semi-Boneless Quail, spatchcocked
½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:
To make the white sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, brown sugar, mustard, horseradish and vinegar until completely smooth. Whisk in water, Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Transfer to a lidded jar. Use immediately or let set in the refrigerator for 24 hours to let the flavors meld together.  The sauce will  keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Bring quail out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you start cooking. Preheat a lightly oiled grill to medium-high.

Pat quail dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, remaining ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ onion powder, and smoked paprika.

Place the quail on the grill breast side down, a few inches apart. Grill for about 3 minutes then carefully turn over and continue to grill until birds are just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes more.The internal temperature of the bird should read between 120 and 125° F on the meat thermometer.

Remove to a platter to rest for 5 minutes.

Dress with sauce and serve immediately with extra sauce on the side.

Cook’s Note:
Sauce can be made a day ahead if desired.

Hello Friends!

All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank You!