chef john's quick cassoulet

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 ounces bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 8 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 25 mins


• add bacon to a large, cold oven-ready skillet. place over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes, until almost crisp. transfer to a bowl, reserving the grease in the pan.
• stir in sausage slices; cook 3-4 minutes. add chicken thigh pieces; cook and stir for 5 minutes, until browned. remove meat to the plate with bacon. discard all the oil, but don't wipe out the pan.
• add chopped onion and turn the heat to medium-low; cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. add 1 cup of chicken stock.
• mash about 1/4 of the beans in a small bowl, stir all the beans into the pan.
• stir in cayenne, rosemary and thyme. add reserved meat back to the pan. stir in remaining cup of stock or more if needed to cover. return to simmer.
• mix bread crumbs, parmigiano-reggiano and melted butter together in a small bowl.
• preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 7 inches from the heat source.
• sprinkle the cassoulet with half the bread crumb mixture. place under the broiler and cook about 5 minutes, until browned.
• remove the pan and push bread crumbs down into the cassoulet. top with remaining bread crumb mixture. return to oven and continue broiling 5 more minutes, until browned.
• turn off the broiler and leave in the oven for 15 minutes. remove and let sit for 5 minutes. enjoy.