Cheat's French Cassoulet - Crock Pot or Le Creuset |
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 180 Minutes |
Ready In: 210 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This great Cheat's recipe has all the elements of a traditional French Cassoulet - assorted meats, beans, carrots, tomatoes, wine & tomatoes - but is very easy & does not include Confit d'Canard if you find that difficult to obtain. However, you need to get hold of high meat content sausages to give it a more authentic taste. I have given a few variations at the bottom of the recipe; this recipe works extremely well in a Crock pot as well as the more traditional Le Creuset casserole dishes. French comfort food at it's best. Serve with mashed potatoes & crisp Savoy Cabbage. This recipe can be easily doubled for bigger or hungry crowds of diners. NOTE on BEANS: I use tinned/canned beans or pre-soaked and cooked beans in this recipe; for uncooked beans, you will need to soak them overnight and then boil them; then increase the cooking time by about 15 minutes. use tinned beans. P. that would work well with this recipe. Ingredients:
50 g lardons or 50 g bacon, chopped into small dice |
1 tablespoon olive oil |
450 g meaty sausages |
4 lean pork chops, cut into large pieces |
400 g tinned beans |
cannellini or navy beans or mixed beans or haricot beans or butter beans |
1 onion, peeled & diced |
4 carrots, peeled & diced into biggish chunks |
400 g chopped tomatoes |
400 ml chicken stock |
200 ml red wine |
1 teaspoon sugar |
2 garlic cloves (or more) |
50 g breadcrumbs |
1 bouquet garni |
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet - fry the bacon until nearly crisp & then add the onions, garlic, & carrots. Cook over a high heat until they are just soft on the outside & turning a golden colour. Drain well & remove from pan. Add to crock pot or Le Creuset casserole dish.
2. Add sausages and brown - remove & add to onion mixture.
3. Add pork chop pieces & brown - remove and add to above mixture.
4. Make up chicken stock and add wine. Mix tomatoes in with stock & teaspoon of sugar.
5. Pour stock and tomatoes over the cassoulet in crock pot or le creuset - add bouquet garni & give everything a good stir!
6. Add the beans and stir well again.
7. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and cook for up to 6 hours on high in crock pot or in le cresuet for 3 hours in a slow oven with the lid on, 150C/300°F.
8. Half an hour before serving, take lid of le creuset to brown the top. It's difficult to brown in a crock pot, but it's not that essential to brown the top, as the reason behind the breadcrumbs is to soak up some of the juice & make a crust on top! If your crock pot is the type which you can put under the grill, then do so!
9. Serve with mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes & stir-fried Savoy Cabbage.
10. NOTE ON SAUSAGES:.
11. Try to use very good quality high meat content sausages; in France Toulouse sausages are mainly used - they generally have a meat content of at least 85%. Good quality English style sausages are also good - I have a recipe posted for some English sausages: Old Fashioned English Spiced Pork and Herb Sausages or Bangers!.
12. However, any kind of sausage can be used and in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc.
13. The Pork chops can be replaced with chicken pieces, lamb steaks or Confit D'Canard - preserved duck, if you are lucky enought to have some!
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