Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Domestic Diva's Braised Cassoulet Recipe

This Domestic Diva is ready to share her supper secrets! Last night, I made my version of a cassoulet. When my boyfriend, Kuzak, stumbled in at 9pm famished, we chowed down on this lovely, filling dish, topped off with a salad and a glass of Rioja in my kitchen "bistro". This dish is inexpensive, healthy and wonderful to serve family style for company. It's also fairly fool proof! This recipe can be made with or without the mussels.

Note: if you don't have a braising pan, you can start it stove top in a pan and then transfer to an oven dish covered with aluminum foil if needed.

Domestic Diva's Braised Cassoulet

Ingredients:


1 cup cannellini beans (or other white bean) soaked overnight or for six hours (to soak, cover with two inches of water in a bowl)
2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola oil)
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove peeled and chopped

6 small yukon gold potatoes (or other small potato) chopped (about 2 cups)
2 andouillie sausages (or other savory chicken sausage) chopped (I use these organic sausages from WFs - the leftover 2 sausages are great for breakfast, chopped up into a tomato sauce, or tossed with veggies into pasta)
1/2 cup dry white wine (Typically, I use sauvignon blanc)
5 cups water (preferably filtered)

2 tbsp double concentrate tomato paste (the kind in the tube - recommend over canned because easier to save and reuse later)
1 bunch of thyme tied together with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf

Optional:

1/2 lb Black Mussels

Lemon Juice


Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours (mostly oven baking time)


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place braising pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add grapeseed oil and allow to warm. Then, add onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly caremelized (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.


Add cannellini beans, sausages and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and allow it to reduce for about 5 minutes. Then, add the water, tomato paste, bunch of thyme and bay leaf. Stir to combine.


Bake in the oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours, checking the beans for doneness.


After the cassoulet is cooked, salt and pepper to taste. Then, add the mussels, scattering them on top of the cooked cassoulet. Recover and cook on the stovetop over medium high heat for another 8-10 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened.


Remove from the oven and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve the dish family style for a lovely presentation.


I'll be serving my cassoulet with a salad:

Organic Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes (beautiful at WFs this week)
Organic Wild Arugula
Shaved Parmesan Reggiano
Balsamic Dressing (good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper)


3 comments:

  1. Sounds delish. I'll have to try my own version of this sometime soon!

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  2. Loved reading about your wonderful weekend! Sounds like a good time was had by all and now I can't wait to get home and try some of your wonderful recipes, DD and perhaps even some of you wine suggestions.....Regards to the Monster!

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