Ham Bean Cassoulet Food

HAM AND BEAN CASSOULET WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• The night before, place dry beans into a pot, cover with enough water to reach 3-4 inches above beans, and allow to soak overnight.
• When ready to begin the cassoulet, drain the beans, rinse, and pick out any odd-looking bits.
• In a large dutch oven or stew pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until translucent and fragrant. Add the ham and garlic and continue to cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Pour both boxes of chicken broth into the pot followed by the beans, carrots, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally, 2 - 2.5 hours until beans are very soft.
• When the cassoulet is almost done, prepare the dumplings. Mix together the first 6 ingredients and then using a pair of forks or a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the mixture until it is coarse and crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
• Drop the cornmeal mixture by heaping tablespoons into the cassoulet. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until dumplings are dry to the touch.

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.

EASY FRENCH CASSOULET WITH WINE, BEANS, SAUSAGE, HAM AND HERBS

Steps:

• In a large oven-proof skillet such as a Le Creuset or Dutch oven cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-low heat until meat is lightly browned and onion is tender; drain off fat.
• Add ham, parsley, and bay leaf; mix well. Stir in undrained beans, wine, and cloves.
• Bake, covered, at 325°F for 45 minutes.
• Uncover and bake 40 to 45 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.
• Serve in bowls with butter and a baguette or hot corn bread, if desired.
• Makes 6 servings.

SMOKED HAM HOCK CASSOULET

Steps:

• Place the beans and the water in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover partly and simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large, wide ovenproof pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until golden, about 7 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, sage and wine. Add the ham hock bones, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the bones from the pan and stir in the meat. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and dot with butter. Bake for 15 minutes. Divide among 6 plates and serve.

WHITE BEAN CASSOULET

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium stock pot. Add the vegetables to the oil, stir frequently, and cook until lightly brown around the edges. Add remaining ingredients, except sausage, 1 at a time. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in sausage and allow to cook for 10 more minutes. Place in bowls, spoon 1 tablespoon of pesto and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sausage into each bowl. Serve with Garlic-Parmesan Crostini.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the sausage with salt, to taste, and carefully place in a single layer across the skillet. Cook the sausage for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat or until browned. Turn the sausages and repeat on opposite side. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/4-inch slices.
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat. Brush the garlic oil on the top and bottom of each slice of bread. Place the bread in a single layer over a sheet pan. Sprinkle each slice with parmesan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes on the middle oven rack until bread browns over the top. Serve.

CHICKEN AND HAM CASSOULET

Steps:

• In slow cooker, soak beans overnight in 4 cups water.
• Cover; cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
• Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
• Cover; cook on HIGH for an additional 3 to 4 hours or until beans are tender.

SKILLET CASSOULET

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa, ham, carrots, celery and onion; cook and stir until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. , Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until heated through.

WHITE BEAN CASSOULET FOR THE SLOW COOKER

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot slices, parsnip slices and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
• Place cooked mixture into the slow cooker. Add beans and next 6 ingredients (through Bay leaf). Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Remove Bay leaf.
• Sauté sausage until browned. Drain off fat.
• Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and melted butter in a small bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Stir breadcrumb mixture and cooked sausage into bean mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

BAKED BEAN CASSOULET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large kettle, combine beans and water. Bring to boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 hour. Do not drain.
• Add celery, carrots, bouillion cubes and salt. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
• meanwhile , roll sausage pieces into small balls, saute in a large skillet until browned. Remove sausage. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, brown in drippings. Remove chicken.
• Saute onion, add tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Combine all ingredients, except chicken and bean liquid, in a greased 6 quart Dutch oven .
• Top with chicken pieces. Pour 1 1/2 cups reserved bean liquid over casserole, sprinkle with paprika.
• Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

LIMA BEAN CASSOULET

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Saute garlic in hot oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat, for 1 minute.
• Add in onion and carrots; stir/saute 3-4 minutes or until tender.
• Add in ham; cook 3 minutes; stir in beans, peas, and next 2 ingredients; bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make Cornmeal Crust Batter: combine all ingredients in a bowl.
• Remove bean/ham mixture from heat; pour batter over bean/ham mixture.
• Bake in oven for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

CROCK POT CASSOULET

Steps:

• FOR THE CASSOULET: In slow cooker stoneware, combine ham hock and beans.
• In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened. Add rosemary and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. Add chicken stock to cover beans. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours, until beans are tender. It would be better to do this the night before.
• In a bowl, combine salt, garlic, peppercorns and thyme. Rub mixture into pork. Place pork in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F On a plate, combine cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Roll lamb shanks in mixture and place, narrow end up, on a broiling pan. Scrape excess salt from the marinated pork shoulder and place on same broiling pan. Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour.
• Remove Ham hock from beans. Remove tough skin and shred meat. Discard skin and bone. Cover and refrigerate meat. Stir tomato paste and bay leaves into bean mixture.
• Cut roasted pork into 1 inch squares and add along with lamb shanks to bean mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours. Remove lamb shanks from mixture and scrape meat from bones. Discard bones and return meat to beans. Stir in kielbasa and reserved meat from ham hock. (See Tips) Transfer mixture to baking dishes, if necessary.
• BREAD CRUMB TOPPING: Preheat oven to 350°F In a bowl, combine ingredients. Sprinkle over cassoulet and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
• TIPS: Using the slow cooker to make cassoulet makes it a manageable project. Cook the beans and marinate the pork overnight. The next morning, continue cooking as directed.
• This is a large quantity of cassoulet, and when the sausage and ham meat is added, it may not fit comfortably in the slow cooker stoneware. I have a gargantuan baking dish, Mexican in origin, that I use for the final assembly You may need to transfer the bean mixture to two large baking dishes before adding the bread crumb topping. If you are serving this as a dinner dish and have enough pottery, consider spooning the cassoulet into individual serving size ovenproof tureens. Add the topping and bake as directed.
• MAKE AHEAD: This dish can be partially prepared the night before it is cooked. Complete Steps 1 and 3, cooking beans overnight. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, continue cooking as directed. Serves 12.
• Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes.