Cassoulet-Style Chicken and White Beans
Author: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tablespoon and more for drizzling
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or 6 sausages, like mild Italian
  • 1 whole clove garlic + 4 cloves, chopped
  • 2 slices bread torn into pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, packed + 1 Tablespoon, packed, roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 ounces bacon, cut into batons (I use Applegate Farms organic turkey bacon)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 14.5-ounce jar diced tomatoes, drained or 1 pound fresh, peeled, seeded and diced
  • ⅓ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
  • ⅔ cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked cannellini beans, or 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Warm 2 tablespoons oil a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken skin-side down or the sausages. Brown the pieces thoroughly on both sides.
  3. Make the breadcrumb topping: Place the whole clove of garlic into the bowl of a food processor with the bread and 1 tablespoon of whole parsley. Process until crumbs are formed. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to combine. Set aside.
  4. When the chicken/sausages are almost ready, add the bacon to the pan and sauté until the bacon is golden brown. Take the chicken/sausages out of the pan and set aside.
  5. Lower the heat to low and add the onion and carrots. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes and wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add the vegetable broth, 1 Tablespoon of parsley, the thyme sprigs, as well as the beans. Cook for 1 minute, until broth is bubbling.
  6. Transfer the bean mixture to an 11 x 9-inch or similar baking dish. Arrange the chicken/sausages on top, then top with the breadcrumb mixture. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, and bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the sides of the pan are bubbling and golden and the breadcrumbs are toasted and golden brown. If you want to make sure the chicken is cooked through, insert a thermometer into the meatiest part of the thigh and make sure it registers 165 degrees.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/cassoulet-style-chicken-and-sausage-recipe/