Cassoulet
Lentil-and-Chicken Cassoulet
This hearty meal doesn't require a lot of prep time and hits the spot on a cool night.
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Toulouse-Style Cassoulet
Although there are innumerable versions of cassoulet, most are based on a stew of white beans and various forms of pork. The dish gets its name from the pot it's traditionally baked in, the cassole (see Note), which is often shaped like a wide inverted cone to insure the greatest amount of luscious crust. This version includes duck confit and the French garlic sausages that are a specialty of Toulouse.
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Cassoulet with Duck Confit
Chef Laurence Jossel created this stripped-down version of the classic French stew, with creamy white beans, luscious store-bought duck confit, smoky French garlic sausage and slab bacon. Letting the beans rest overnight develops their flavors.
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Harissa-Spiced Cassoulet
This North African-inspired cassoulet is chef Gavin Kaysen's nod to all the different cultures in Minneapolis, where his restaurant, Spoon and Stable, is located. "I wanted to showcase new flavors, but in a familiar format," says Kaysen. "I like seeing another culture's view of comfort food."
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Bean-and-Leek Cassoulet
"I love cooking the hell out of leeks," Jerry Traunfeld says. "They get this melty, rich quality and saucy consistency." In this luscious dish, he combines the slow-cooked leeks with meaty porcinimushroomsand cranberry beans (a.k.a.borlottior shell beans), which can be found fresh in early autumn and taste like chestnuts. The dish can easily be adapted for carnivores by adding bits of crispybaconor that key cassoulet ingredient, duck confit.
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Chicken and White Bean Cassoulet
Slow cooking chicken drumsticks and white beans make for a hearty and delicious dinner.