Beef Cassoulet With Herb Dumplings Food

BEEF CASSOULET WITH HERB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In 4-quart Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
• Stir in water, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon basil, the garlic, celery, onion, beans, broth and tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
• In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 12 spoonfuls onto beef mixture (do not drop directly into liquid). Cook uncovered over low heat 10 minutes. Cover; cook 10 minutes longer.

BEEF CASSEROLE WITH HERB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Cut beef into 2 1/2cm cubes. Toss in flour to coat all over, shaking off any excess.
• Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish (20 cup capacity). Cook beef, in batches, until browned all over. Remove from dish.
• Heat remaining oil to same dish. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Add wine. Simmer 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Whisk in stock until smooth. Return beef to pan with swedes, potatoes and thyme. Bring to boil.
• Cook, covered, in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 2 hours, or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally during cooking.
• Meanwhile, to make dumplings, place flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in parsley. Using a butter knife, stir in milk until mixture forms a firm dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Roll dough until 1 1/2cm in thickness. Using a 5cm cutter, cut 12 rounds from dough, rerolling dough if necessary.
• Remove casserole from oven. Carefully discard thyme sprigs. Arrange dumplings over top of casserole and brush with a little extra buttermilk.
• Cook, uncovered, in a very hot oven (240C) for about 20 minutes, or until dumplings are golden brown and cooked through.
• Serve garnished with extra fresh thyme.

BEEF CASSOULET (CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• In heavy skillet brown sausages well; cut into brite-size pieces and set aside.
• Brown beef in same silled in about 2 tbsp of sausage fat. Add onion and garlic. Season with basil, salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer 1 hour or until meat is almost tender.
• In 3-quart covered casserole, combine all ingredients. Cover and bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

BEEF CASSOULET WITH HERB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Cook beef in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir water, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon basil, the garlic, celery, onion, beans, broth and tomatoes into beef. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
• Stir remaining ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 12 spoonfuls onto beef mixture (do not drop directly into liquid).
• Cook uncovered over low heat 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

HOW TO MAKE CASSOULET

Steps:

• Soak Great Northern beans in water in a large bowl overnight. Drain beans and place into a large soup pot. Push whole clove into the 1/2 onion and add to beans; stir in garlic, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and 10 cups water. Bring beans to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until beans have started to soften, about 1 hour. Drain beans and reserve the cooking liquid, removing and discarding onion with clove and bay leaf. Transfer beans to a large mixing bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cook bacon in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned and still limp, about 5 minutes. Stir celery, carrots, and 1/2 diced onion into bacon; season with salt. Cook and stir vegetables in the hot bacon fat until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat; brown sausage link halves and duck confit in the hot oil until browned, about 5 minutes per side.
• Season vegetable-bacon mixture with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, cracked black pepper, and herbes de Provence; pour in diced tomatoes. Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until juice from tomatoes has nearly evaporated and any browned bits of food on the bottom of pot have dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir mixture into beans.
• Spread half the bean mixture into the heavy Dutch oven and place duck-sausage mixture over the beans; spread remaining beans over meat layer. Pour just enough of the reserved bean liquid into pot to reach barely to the top of the beans, reserving remaining liquid. Bring bean cassoulet to a simmer on stovetop and cover Dutch oven with lid.
• Bake bean cassoulet in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add 4 crushed garlic cloves, panko crumbs, and parsley to the melted butter. Season with salt and black pepper, and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over crumbs. Stir to thoroughly combine.
• Uncover cassoulet and check liquid level; mixture should still have several inches of liquid. If beans seem dry, add more of the reserved bean liquid. Spread half the crumb mixture evenly over the beans and return to oven. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. There should be about 2 or 3 inches of liquid at the bottom of the pot; if mixture seems dry, add more reserved bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining half the bread crumb mixture over cassoulet.
• Turn oven heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake cassoulet, uncovered, until crumb topping is crisp, edges are bubbling, and the bubbles are slow and sticky, 20 to 25 more minutes. Serve beans on individual plates and top each serving with a piece of duck and several sausage pieces.

CHEF JOHN'S CASSOULET

Steps:

• Rinse soaked beans and drain.
• Pour broth into a large pot. Add chopped pancetta, bones from duck confit, and the drained beans. Tie bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme sprigs, and garlic into a small square of cheesecloth to create the bouquet garni; add to the pot. Stir. Bring to a simmer over high heat; skim foamy scum that forms, if desired. Reduce heat to low until beans are almost tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle pork pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; brown the pork pieces, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add sausage to the skillet and cook in the same oil, turning until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Cut sausages in half and transfer to bowl with pork pieces.
• Remove fat and skin from duck confit and add them to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Transfer all fat and browned pieces from the skillet to a mixing bowl. Add melted butter. Stir in bread crumbs and chopped parsley; stir until mixture looks like damp sand. Mix in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup broth.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place onions, carrots, and celery in the same skillet used to brown the meats; add pinch of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until onions are translucent and mixture turns golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook and stir until tomato paste starts to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, 3 or 4 minutes. Pour in white wine; cook and stir until most of the wine evaporates, 5 or 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drain beans over a large bowl to retain all the cooking liquid. Remove bones and bouquet garni.
• Place drained beans in large shallow baking dish or cast iron skillet (about 12 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep). Stir in cooked vegetables and about 1 cup broth. Add pork pieces and distribute evenly among the beans. Top with the shredded duck confit. Nestle the sausage halves into the bean mixture.
• Ladle cooking liquid into the baking dish until beans are nearly submerged. Spread bread crumb mixture evenly over the top but don't press into the liquid. Use your fingertips to make gentle indentations on the crumb surface for better browning.
• Bake in preheated oven until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and create a small "well" in the center of the cassoulet crust. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid (or as needed) into the well to rehydrate mixture. Use a fork to gently poke into the cassoulet to ensure the liquid is fairly evenly distributed but try not to disturb the crusty surface.
• Continue baking until cassoulet surface is crispy and caramelized, the meat is fork tender, and the beans are creamy and tender, about 30 to 45 more minutes.
• Serve in large bowls with a spoonful or 2 of hot cooking liquid. Top with chopped fresh parsley.