Description
Hearty French Weekday Cassoulet brings rustic comfort from southwestern France’s culinary landscape. Rich layers of slow-cooked beans, tender meats, and aromatic herbs invite warmth and satisfaction to your dining experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, halved through the bone
- 1/2 pound (226 grams) slab bacon, sliced into large lardons
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, sliced very thin
Liquids, Seasonings, and Additional Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) white wine
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) cooked Northern white beans
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) chicken stock
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Baguette, sliced for serving
Garlic Bread Crumbs:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 slices stale bread, pulsed into crumbs
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F, allowing it to fully warm up while preparing ingredients.
- Season chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper, letting them rest at room temperature to absorb seasoning.
- Render bacon fat in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp, then transfer bacon to a separate plate.
- Increase pan temperature to medium-high, brown chicken thighs on both sides until golden, then remove and set aside.
- Sauté chopped onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic in remaining bacon drippings for approximately 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up browned bits and reducing liquid by half to concentrate flavors.
- Incorporate white beans, bay leaf, and fresh thyme into the vegetable mixture, creating a fragrant base.
- Gently nestle browned chicken thighs and crispy bacon pieces into the bean mixture.
- Pour chicken stock over the ingredients, ensuring everything is partially submerged.
- Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and chicken to become tender.
- Remove from oven, arrange sliced tomatoes across the top and generously sprinkle with garlic bread crumbs.
- Return uncovered to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes until bread crumbs turn golden and crispy.
- Serve hot alongside sliced crusty baguette for a complete, rustic meal.
Notes
- Swap chicken thighs with turkey or plant-based protein for dietary variations like vegetarian or low-fat options.
- Toast breadcrumbs separately to maintain crispy texture and prevent sogginess during final baking stage.
- Use fresh herbs like rosemary or parsley for enhanced aromatic complexity and brighter flavor profile.
- Choose white beans like cannellini or Great Northern for authentic French-style cassoulet texture and smooth consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg