Description
Hearty Ina Garten cassoulet from France brings rustic charm to dinner tables with rich layers of meat and beans. Savory ingredients meld together, creating a comforting dish you’ll crave during chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 links Italian pork sausages
- 1 lb (454 g) chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 medium carrot (chopped)
- 1 leek (chopped (white and green part))
- 2 small shallots (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 19 oz (540 g) cannellini beans (1 can, drained)
- ½ cup (118 ml) white wine (such as a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp herbes de Provence
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preparation: Calibrate oven to 325°F with center rack placement, creating optimal cooking environment.
- Protein Searing: Execute golden-brown sausage caramelization in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, removing and potentially slicing after achieving crisp exterior.
- Chicken Technique: Season chicken breasts with pepper and salt, cooking thoroughly in identical pan until no pink remains, then transferring to separate holding plate.
- Aromatic Foundation: Leverage residual sausage drippings to develop vegetable flavor profile, sautéing onions, carrots, and leeks until softened. Integrate shallots and garlic, releasing intense aromatics for approximately one minute.
- Deglazing Process: Introduce white wine to pan, using wooden spoon to liberate caramelized essence clinging to cookware surface, creating rich flavor base.
- Consolidation and Slow Cooking: Reunite sausage and chicken within pot, incorporating beans and selected herbs. Modulate seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Cover and transfer to preheated oven, allowing two-hour slow-cooking transformation to meld ingredients harmoniously.
- Presentation: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, serving immediately to showcase complex, layered culinary experience.
Notes
- Preheating Precision: Position the oven rack exactly in the center for even heat distribution and optimal cooking results.
- Meat Browning Magic: Achieve golden, crispy sausages and chicken by using medium-high heat and allowing proper caramelization in the pan.
- Flavor Building Technique: Deglaze the pan with white wine to capture and incorporate all the delicious caramelized bits, creating deeper, more complex flavor profiles.
- Slow Cooking Secrets: Cover and bake for exactly 2 hours to allow ingredients to meld together, transforming individual components into a rich, harmonious cassoulet.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg