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Bean and Meat Casserole (Cassoulet) ](Serves 8) The cassoulet is an excellent dish, but as the Dictionnaire de I'Académie des Gastronomes points out, "It is first of all a peasant dish," sturdy country fare. How the cassoulet is made varies according to whoever is preparing it. In this recipe duck and pork are used. Often goose and lamb are used. A cassoulet always has one kind of poultry, some sausage, and one or two kinds of other meat, including pork. 2 pounds white pea beans or navy beans 1 tablespoon salt 1 medium leek, well washed and split 1 medium onion, stuck with 2 cloves 1 medium carrot, scraped and cut in half 2 large fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (2 cups) 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 or 5 sprigs parsley 3/4 pound pork skin, tied in 3 or 4 bundles (pork rind) 1 pound lean, cured bacon, all in 1 piece 4 cups chicken broth (3 10 1/2-ounce cans) 6 cups cold water 1 pound garlic sausage or use keilbasa (Polish sausage) or Genoa salami Cover the beans with cold water and allow to soak for 2 to 3 hours. Lift the beans from the water to an 8- to 10-quart heavy, enameled casserole. (You can also wash the beans and cook them directly in cold water with the seasonings. It is important that the beans start in cold water and come slowly to a boil, otherwise they will harden and not cook properly.) Add the salt, leek, onion, carrot, tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, and parsley tied in a piece of cheesecloth), pork skin, bacon, broth, and 6 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil slowly, reduce beat, cover, and simmer for about IV4 hours. At this point, prick the sausage with a fork and add to the casserole. Cook another 1/2 hour. 14- to 5-pound duck, oven-ready 2 to 3 pounds Pork shoulder, boned, rolled, and tied (or fresh pork butt) 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper 2 teaspoons salt Meanwhile, salt and pepper both the duck and the pork. Place each in a separate roasting pan and roast in a preheated 375-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are cooked (they should be tender, but not mushy), turn off the beat. Lift the sausage, pork rind, bacon, onion, carrot, leek and bouquet garni from the casserole onto a flat sheet and let cool until cool enough to handle. Discard the bouquet garni and the cloves from the onion. When the duck and pork are cooked, pour 1/2 cup fat from the roasting pans into a measuring cup and set aside. Discard any extra fat from the duck and pork pans. Deglaze both pans by adding 1/2 cup of the juice from the beans into each pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring together all the coagulated cooking juices. Add to the beans. Chop the onion, carrot, and leek into a puree and return to the beans. Prepare the meats to combine with the beans. Remove the skin from the sausage and slice into 3/4-inch slices. Slice the pork rind and fresh bacon into strips 1/2 inch wide by 3 inches long. Slice the pork in half lengthwise, then into 1-inch slices. Cut the duck in half with a heavy sharp knife, then cut each half into 5 pieces, bones and all (cut each leg in half and the wing and breast pieces into thirds). 4 slices bread, made into fine crumbs (1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup reserved fat from the pork and /or duck Pour the beans into another container. Then rinse out the casserole. Layer the various ingredients in the casserole starting with about 1/3 of the beans, followed by layers of each of the 5 meats and the beans, the remaining meats, ending with the beans. Spread the breadcrumbs over the entire surface, then spoon the 1/2 cup of fat over the top. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 1/2 hours. After 30 minutes, when a crust has formed on top, break the crust by pushing it into the beans with a large spoon. It will brown again, leaving a crust intact for serving. Pushing the first crust into the dish gives a crunchy, nutty taste to the beans. At the end of the cooking time the cassoulet can "rest" out of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Serve straight from the casserole, giving each one at the table a serving of the various ingredients. Return to Top |
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