Peter Aitken wrote:
> "Andy Katz" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi everyone,
>>
>>The client's looking for low fat vegan no sugar no starch no sodium no
>>artificial ingredients haute cuisine.
>>
>>Naturally I'm equal to the task.
>>
>>One question, rather than saute or combine breadcrumbs with butter,
>>suppose I gently saute buglar wheat in a little olive oil with say a
>>dusting of cayenne ... how would that work?
>>
>>If not, are there other foods with suitable consistency?
>>
>>I guess we're really just looking for a way to introduce some butter
>>and/or oil into the cassoulet......
>>
>>Did everyone have a nice a safe Sukkoh?
>>
>
>
> Are you kidding?! A low-fat vegan cassoulet? That has got to be the oxymoron
> of all time!
>
>
Judging from all the coughing and sneezing going on here in Seattle, I
guess it is safe to say that the Fall has commenced. And, therefore, it
is time to bring out the cassoulet pots and have at it again.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Cassoulet (Fine Cooking)
Recipe By : Jean-Pierre Moulle, Fine Cooking, 01/02
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans Dinner
French Game
Lamb Main Dish
Meats Pork
Sausage Stew
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
FOR THE BEAN STEW:
1 lb. dry white beans -- such as cannelini
or Great Northern
1 pig’s foot or 1 small fresh ham hock
3/4 lb. pork belly or pancetta
1/2 lb. pork rind
1 medium carrot -- halved
1/2 large onion -- peeled and halved,
each half studded with
1 whole clove
1/2 tomato -- peeled and seeded,
or 1/2 cup canned whole
tomatoes -- drained
1/2 rib celery -- halved
1/2 head garlic -- halved across the
top
1 bay leaf -- several sprigs of
fresh thyme, and several parsley
stems -- tied together in a
bouquet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE LAMB STEW:
1 lb. boneless lamb shoulder -- neck, or shank meat
-- (about 2 lb. on the
bone)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup duck fat or olive oil
1 medium carrot -- peeled and coarsely
chopped
1 onion -- peeled and coarsely
chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes -- peeled and seeded,
or 2 cups canned whole tomatoes,
lightly squeezed
1 bay leaf -- several sprigs of
fresh thyme, and several
parsley stems -- tied together in a
bouquet
2 cloves garlic
2 cups homemade or low-salt chicken broth or
duck stock
FOR THE CASSOULET:
1/4 cup duck fat or olive oil
1/2 lb. garlic sausage or sweet Italian sausage
that’s
not seasoned with fennel
4 duck confit legs
1 clove garlic
Bean stew (see the recipe above)
Lamb stew (see the recipe above)
2 cups coarse -- unseasoned
breadcrumbs, toasted, preferably
from a baguette
Extra chicken broth or duck stock for
moistening the
cassoulet during baking -- if needed
Make the bean stew: Soak the beans overnight in enough cold water to
cover them well. Drain, rinse, and pick through them for stones
and damaged beans. In a large saucepan, cover the pig’s foot or ham
hock, pork belly or pancetta, and pork rind with cold water.
Bring to a boil, simmer for 3 mm., drain, and rinse in cold water.
Reserve. In a large saucepan, cover the beans with lukewarm
water. Bring to a boil, drain, and return to the pan. Cover with hot
water. Add the carrots, onion, tomato, celery, garlic,
and herb bouquet. Bring to a boil, add the reserved pig’s foot or ham
hock, pork belly or pancetta, and pork rind. Simmer,
covered, for 1 1/2 hours, until completely tender (don’t add salt yet).
Transfer to a large pan to cool and reserve
the beans in their cooking liquid. Remove the carrot, onion, and herb
bouquet; discard. Taste and season with salt and
pepper as needed, but be prudent, as the pork parts add a good bit of
salty flavor.
Meanwhile, make the lamb stew: Cut the lamb into 2 1/2-inch pieces.
Season with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy sauté pan over
medium-high heat, melt the duck fat or heat the oil. Sear the lamb
pieces until well browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon
and reserve. Add the carrot and onion, lower the heat to medium, and
cover the pan. Sweat the vegetables until tender
but not browned, about 6 mm. Raise the heat, add the white wine, and
boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon,
until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the reserved lamb and any
juices, the tomatoes, herb bouquet, garlic, and
broth or stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer,
covered, until the lamb is tender, about 1 hour, skimming
off the fat and froth as needed. Discard the herb bouquet and reserve
the lamb stew until it’s time to assemble the cassoulet.
To assemble the cassoulet: Heat the oven to 250F. In a medium-size sauté
pan over medium-high heat, heat half of the duck fat or
olive oil. Add the sausage; brown it on all sides. When cool enough to
handle, cut it into six pieces. Cut the duck confit legs
in half at the joint. Rub the garlic clove over the inside of an
earthenware casserole, an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven,
or a large ceramic soufflé mold. Retrieve the pig’s foot or ham hock,
pork rind, and pork belly or pancetta from the bean stew.
Discard the pig’s foot or ham hock bones. (If you’ve used a ham hock,
tear off any remaining meat and add it to the bean stew).
Cut the pork belly or pancetta into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve. Cut
the pork rind into 1/2-inch pieces and scatter them over
the bottom of the dish.
With a slotted spoon, transfer one-third of the beans to the dish. Do
the same with half the pork belly or pancetta, all of the
duck confit, half the lamb stew (again, use a slotted spoon, because
you’ll be using the cooking liquid later), and all of the
sausage. Cover the meats with another one-third of beans, the remaining
pork belly and lamb stew, and finish with the
last one-third of beans. Combine the bean juices with the lamb sauce,
taste for seasoning (remembering that the duck confit
is salty), and pour just enough over the dish to barely cover the beans.
Sprinkle the dish with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the remaining duck
fat (melt it first if it’s still solid) or olive oil over the
breadcrumbs. Bake for 2 1/2 hours and then raise the heat to 350F and
bake until the crust is a rich golden brown and the cassoulet is
bubbling around the edges, about another 30 mm. Check the cassoulet
during baking-if it’s getting too dry, add more broth or stock; if the
crust is browning too quickly, cover it with foil. Let the cassoulet
rest for at least 30 mm. before serving. Bring the entire dish to the
table and serve each guest some crust, beans, and pieces of the
different meats.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTES : This recipe serves six generously, and it’s easily doubled if
you want to make more (plus, leftovers are delicious). If you
don’t have the traditional deep earthenware casserole, use a 5-quart
enameled cast-iron Dutch oven or a ceramic soufflé dish-the vessel
needs to be wide enough for a crust to form. For pork rind, order it or
buy salt pork and cut the rind off, freezing the salt pork
for another use. Serves six.
--
Alan
"I don't think you can win the war on terror."
...George (flip-flop) Bush, 8/30/2004
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