Now in its third month, Sunday Suppers is starting to feel like an old friend. A collaborative effort between Buffalo Rising and Slow Food Buffalo, Sunday Suppers is intended to promote the notion of gathering around the table at home with family and friends for a simple and delicious home cooked meal. Typically we focus on providing readers with the opportunity to prepare a meal that possesses three distinct traits: It must be delicious, it must be simple and it must reflect local food traditions or highlight an ingredient that is made locally.
This month’s recipe, prepared by Chef JJ Richert of Torches restaurant on Kenmore Avenue, isn’t what most would consider simple. Cassoulet is on the menu, and though it requires time and patience in preparation, it is well worth it. With peasant origins dating back to the 14th century, cassoulet is an intensely satisfying bean stew with other ingredients that vary by region. The most well known of all perhaps, is the version Chef Richert is guiding us through this month, the Castelnaudary Cassoulet, a delicious combination of beans, Toulouse sausage, pork, lamb and duck or goose. Why did he choose to make this dish? “It’s a classic,” he said. “It’s amazing, hearty comfort food; it’s what cooking at home is all about.” This recipe is a slight variation on one that comes from the Culinary Art Institute’s One Dish Meals cookbook.
A few notes before we dive into this project. Toulouse sausage, also known as garlic sausage, is a French pork sausage enhanced by wine and a copious amount of garlic. Unable to find authentic, imported Toulouse sausage in the city, we turned to Joe Kennedy, owner of Spar’s European Sausage on Amherst Street. There we were able to source a top quality Polish sausage which Kennedy himself suggested as an alternative. Made by hand with fresh pork, wine and garlic, it was a perfect substitute. It may be tempting to grab something similar while you’re at the supermarket, but it would be a disservice to your guests and more importantly, your cassoulet, were you to use anything other than the fresh links available at Spar’s.
Also note that this recipe calls for duck confit. Most of us aren’t likely to make this at home ourselves, which is why the folks at Premier Gourmet on Delaware and the Lexington Co-op on Elmwood sell prepared duck confit by D’Artagnan, a reputable fine meats producer. If that doesn’t suit you, a smoked turkey leg is a reasonable alternative.
So while this is certainly not the simplest of Sunday Supper’s suggested recipes, cassoulet is what some would consider the mother of all one pot meals, and therefore well suited to our goal. Gather the ingredients and spend the day taking care of your cassoulet. Better yet, invite a friend or two and wile away the oven time with a bottle of wine and a good movie. Babette’s Feast, a fantastic film rife with luscious French food, should get you in the mood.
Cassoulet
12 cups chicken broth (low sodium) · 3 cups dry navy beans, presoaked · 1 lb slab bacon, slide 1/4” thick · 1 lb Toulouse sausage · 2 small yellow onions, peeled and left whole · 3 garlic cloves · 1 1/2 lb boneless pork loin, cut into large cubes · 1 1/2 lb boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into large cubes ·
6 tbsp olive oil · 1 cup leeks, diced · 1 cup carrots, sliced · 1 cup parsnips, sliced · 1 tsp garlic, minced ·
1/2 cup all purpose flour · 1/3 cup dry white wine · 8 cups beef broth · 1 cup plum tomatoes, chopped ·
1 1/4 lb duck confit · 1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs · 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped · salt and pepper, to taste
2 bouquet garni (depicted in lead photo) each made of:
1 rib of celery · 2 sprigs of thyme · 1 sage leaf · 1 bay leaf · kitchen string
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepot and add the beans and bacon. Return the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are nearly tender, about 40 minutes.
Add the sausage, onion, garlic and one bouquet garni. Return the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sausage is done and the bacon is fork tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and reserve the bacon and sausage. Remove and discard the onion, garlic and bouquet garni.
Season the beans with salt to taste and simmer until the beans are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Strain the beans, reserve them, and return the cooking liquid to the pot. Continue to simmer until the liquid reduces by half and is beginning to thicken, about 30 minutes. Reserve the sauce for later use.
Season the pork and lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Sear the pork and lamb in the oil on all sides, turning as necessary, until deep brown. Transfer meat to pan and cover to keep warm.
Add the leeks, carrots, and parsnips to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of flour and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is pasty, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and 3 cups of beef broth to the casserole, whisking or stirring until smooth. Stir in the tomatoes and the remaining bouquet garni. Return the seared meats to the casserole, along with any juices they may have released. Add more broth if necessary to keep the meat completely moistened. Bring to a slow simmer over medium-low heat.
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Cover the casserole and braise the meat in the oven, skimming the surface as necessary, until the meats are fork tender, about 1 hour. Peel the reserved sausage and slice it about 1/4” thick. Slice the reserved bacon 1/4” thick. Add the sliced sausage and bacon to the casserole. Cover the meat with a layer of reserve beans. Add the duck confit in a layer, topped with the second half of the beans. Pour the sauce from the beans over the cassoulet. Toss together the breadcrumbs, parsley and remaining flour and sprinkle in an even layer over the cassoulet.
Turn the oven down to 300°. Bake the cassoulet, uncovered, periodically basting the crust with the juices that bubble up the sides of the casserole, until it is heated through and a good crust is formed, 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Be mindful that your cassoulet does not become dried out. If necessary, during the baking process you may slowly add hot beef broth to the cassoulet, being careful to preserve as much of the crust as possible. Let the cassoulet rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Torches
1141 Kenmore Avenue, Buffalo 14217
716.447.7915
Spar’s European Sausage
405 Amherst Street, Buffalo, 14207
716.876.6607