| French Casserole - ( Cassoulet ) ~ A Fabulous French Casserole - "Cassoulet, a rich melange of white beans, vegetables and various kinds of meat, is one of the greatest of French Casseroles. It's traditionally made with goose, but there are infinite variations. We simmer the beans and vegetables with chicken, bacon and sausage in chicken broth and herbs. It's best prepared a day in advance and reheated. Serve with salad, bread and a fruit dessert." - From McCalls Cooking School - George Ratkai - 1984 The McCall Publishing Company - 1 1/2 lbs. Great Northern white beans 5 carrots 6 medium onions 4 whole cloves 2 cans (10 1/2 oz size condensed chicken broth, undiluted) 2 bay leaves, crumbled 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 whole black peppers 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves 1/4 lb. bacon, unsliced 4-lb roasting chicken, cut into 8 pieces 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 can (1 lb) peeled tomatoes, undrained 1 lb. Polish sausage (whole) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1. In an 8-quart kettle with cover, combine beans with 4 1/2 cups cold water; let soak 2 hours, no longer. (They will burst easily in cooking.) Do not drain beans. Meanwhile, pare carrots, cut into quarters. Peel onions, stud 1 of the onions with whole cloves. 2. To beans, add chicken broth, bay leaves, 1/4 of the carrots, the onions, studded with cloves, celery leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, the black peppers, garlic, thyme, marjoram and sage. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. 3. Add remaining carrots; cook, covered, 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, cut bacon into two pieces. In large skillet, sauté bacon until browned, turning on all sides. Drain off fat. Preheat oven to 350F. Turn bean mixture into a 6-quart casserole. Add bacon. 4. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in hot butter in large skillet, brown chicken (half at a time), turning with tongs to brown well on all sides-this should take about 30 minutes in all. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. 5. Add browned chicken and undrained tomatoes to beans. With sharp knife, cut 9 diagonal slashes, 1/8 inch deep in top of sausage. Place sausage on top of chicken and vegetables. Cover tightly (you may use foil); bake 45 minutes, or until chicken is tender. 6. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes longer. To serve, sprinkle with parsley. Note: Cassoulet is better made the day before and refrigerated. To serve: Let warm to room temperature; reheat, covered at 300F, 1 hour. (If too dry, add 1 cup chicken broth.) Serves 8. |
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