Cassoulet

We tend to eat pretty international around our house, and the past week had a French theme. A cassoulet is this soupy casserole dish named after the pot that it is usually made in. It contains white beans and pork. Its origin is in Southern France.

It was unique from what seasonings/flavors we typically use, but it was hearty and good.  I made it for about 3 servings instead of 6.  The recipe below is for 6 servings. 

I also could not find parsnips in this town, so I skipped them. Let me know if you can find them when you make this. I am now interested in tracking them down.

I got this recipe from the Savor book I read recently.


Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb turkey Italian sausage, casings removed (I used hot sausage.)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, diced
3 parsnips, diced
1 tomato, chopped, or one 8-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
3 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp butter, melted


Instructions:
1. In a skillet or frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausage until well browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove and drain on paper towels; set aside. 

2. In a stock pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat, combine the chicken broth vegetables, beans, thyme, salt, pepper, one-third of the garlic, and the sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour, until thickened and the vegetables are tender. 

3. Heat oven to 400°. Pour cassoulet into an ovenproof dish. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, butter, and remain garlic. Sprinkle evenly over the cassoulet, and place in the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. To make ahead and freeze, prepare without the bread crumb topping. Cover and freeze up to 4 months. When ready to cook, uncover the cassoulet, sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture and bake, unthawed, 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400°.