Cozy Cassoulet Recipe Ina Recipe For Zucchini

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Bundle parsley, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, celery, and leek to form a bouquet garni, wrapping kitchen twine around the aromatics several times to secure -- which ensures easy retrieval of the ingredients after they've infused the cooking liquid with flavor.
• Warm oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add fatback or pork belly, and cook until it is golden on all sides and has begun to render its fat, about 5 minutes. Add pork shoulder, and cook until golden on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
• Stick clove in half the onion, and add to pot along with bouquet garni, ham hock, carrot, tomatoes and juice, and beans. Add enough cold water to cover by 1 to 2 inches (about 8 cups). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until beans are tender throughout but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat. Discard carrot, onion, and bouquet garni. Transfer ham hock to a cutting board, reserving liquid, and let cool slightly. Trim meat and gelatin from the bone, dicing and returning them to the pot. Discard the bone.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rub cut side of garlic clove over the entire inner surface of a small (5-quart) Dutch oven or other ovenproof vessel. This allows a subtle though distinct garlic flavor to infuse the resulting cassoulet.
• Using a wire skimmer or a slotted spoon, place half the bean mixture in the Dutch oven, spreading it evenly. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot.
• Arrange the duck confit and sausage on top of the beans in the Dutch oven to create a single, snug layer. Spoon the remaining beans over the meat, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Add enough cooking liquid so the beans are almost, but not quite, submerged. Reserve the remaining liquid. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, for 2 hours. Check the liquid every 30 minutes to make sure it is no more than 1/2 inch below the beans, and add liquid or water as necessary. Do not stir.
• After the cassoulet has cooked for 2 hours, toss bread and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle over cassoulet, and return to oven until beans are tender and bread is golden, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Before serving, let cassoulet stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to cool and to allow the beans to absorb some of the liquid. You can refrigerate cassoulet in an airtight container for up to 3 days; rewarm in an oven heated to 300 degrees.

PARMESAN ROASTED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Trim the stem end of the zucchini, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out a small channel of seeds with a regular teaspoon. Place the zucchini in one layer on a sheet pan, brush generously all over with olive oil, and turn the zucchini cut side down. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until just tender but still firm when tested with the tip of a small paring knife.
• Meanwhile, make the bread crumbs. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, basil, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the panko and 3 1/2 tablespoons of oil and mix well.
• Turn the zucchini cut side up and spoon a heaping tablespoon of the panko mixture evenly on each zucchini. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the panko is crispy. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

BEST ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a large bowl, combine zucchini, bell pepper, cornflakes, cheese, oil, basil, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly into prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-heat. Add the Italian sausage and bacon to brown on all sides breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute briefly, just until fragrant scraping up any browned bits. Add the zucchini, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, chicken broth, and canned or cooked cannellini beans. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the duck confit. Remove the Dutch oven from the stovetop and place in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes remove and sprinkle the bread crumbs and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cassoulet Variation:
• Cajun Cassoulet: Use Andouille sausage and chicken as meat varieties. Replace the thyme and rosemary with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Substitute the cannellini beans for red beans.

CASSOULET

Steps:

• Drain the beans and put into a large heavy casserole, preferably enameled cast iron, with bacon, pork rind, garlic, 1 onion, the carrot, and the bouquet garni. Cover with the 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beans are barely tender, about 1 hour. Drain and return to casserole, discarding onion and bouquet garni.
• Add the remaining onion, the duck legs, demi-glace mixture, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Drain the bean mixture in a colander over a bowl and reserve 5 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard bacon and pork rind. Remove the duck legs and cut each in half at the joint. Season beans with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place half the bean mixture in casserole. Add duck legs, duck sausage, and garlic sausage, and cover with remaining beans. Add reserved cooking liquid and drizzle the duck fat over the top. Cover and bake until hot and bubbling, about 2 hours. (Cassoulet may be prepared ahead to this point, then cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before proceeding).
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Uncover cassoulet and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

COZY CASSOULET

Steps:

• Sort and wash beans.
• Place in 8-qt ovenproof dutch oven.
• Cover with water 2 inches above beans and let stand 8hrs or overnight.
• Drain.
• Add 2 1/2qt water to beans.
• Stir in salt pork, garlic and next five ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, cover and cook 2hrs or until beans are tender, adding water if necessary.
• Remove and discard salt pork, onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf.
• Set aside.
• Place chicken in a roasting pan, sprinkle with salt and 2tsp pepper.
• Bake at 350* for 2hours or until thermometer reads 180*.
• Cool completely, reserving 3tbs drippings.
• Cut chicken into serving size pieces and set aside.
• Cook sausage in skillet over med-high heat until browned.
• Remove and set aside.
• Add pork chops and cook until browned on both sides.
• Remove and set aside, reserving drippings.
• Add reserved chicken drippings to drippings in skillet.
• Add chopped onion and garlic.
• Cook over med-high heat stirring constantly, until tender.
• Add wine and cook until reduced by half.
• Add diced tomatoes, 1/2tsp thyme and 2 tsp pepper.
• Stir into beans.
• Spoon half of bean mixture, sausage, chicken and pork chops into dutch oven, repeat layers.
• Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 325* for 1 1/2hours.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
• *Note-you might want to drain the beans a bit before adding tomato mixture or it is too liquidy.

WINNING COUNTRY CASSOULET

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse with cold water. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the beans, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; boil, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened. Do not drain., Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. In the same skillet, brown chicken in reserved drippings on all sides; drain and set aside., In a 3-qt. baking dish or Dutch oven, combine the beans with cooking liquid, bacon, carrots, onion, tomatoes, celery, garlic, salt, marjoram, sage and pepper. Place whole cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Add to bean mixture; top with chicken., Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; add sausage. Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until beans are tender. Discard bay leaf and spice bag. Garnish with parsley.