Print  email 

One last hearty dish

THE OLYMPIAN | • Published May 13, 2009

• Comments (0)

Spring weather in the Northwest – even with the occasional hint of summer – remains unpredictable. Just when I think I have made my last batch of chili, another blustery day comes along.

A few rainy days ago, I was headed for the store when a recipe sent by Nancy McGill appeared on top of the papers on my desk. Nancy bills herself as the “Fix-it Lady, a Jill of all trades” (mcgden3@yahoo.com). Last spring I called her when I had a wide variety of projects, ranging from carpentry to plumbing to sprinkling system repair. She does it all with amazing grace and a noticeable lack of cuss words often associated with home repair jobs. It turns out she is also a whiz-bang at fixing dinner. Her recipe for cassoulet was the perfect thing for a chilly spring evening.

Recipes for cassoulet, a classic French dish, abound on the Internet. The authentic ones vary but they often call for duck, pheasant or lamb. They are usually made in a Dutch oven and sprinkled with bread crumbs so a crust forms on top. There are also some constants. There must be white beans and some form of pork.

Nancy’s version can be made on the stove top and is ready to serve after simmering for 30 minutes. In spite of the lack of duck fat and a long bake in the oven, it’s an exceptionally savory dish.

To cut preparation time, use canned beans. If you are in the mood to start from scratch, soak them the night before, cook them separately and add them when the meat and leeks are ready.

Use about 2 pounds of meat. Nancy recommended using a pound of sweet Italian sausage and a ring of Kielbasa, cut into slices.

For stove-top cooking, use a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and brown the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. Add the Kielbasa slices.

Cut three leeks into quarter-inch slices. You can work your way up the stem of the leek, removing the tough outer leaves as you go. Use the tender light green flesh until it turns dark green. Rinse the leek slices in a bowl of cold water, pushing them apart to get rid of the sand that often lurks in the folds of the leaves.

I had just two leeks, so I added a medium Vidalia onion, chopped. Add it to the cooking meat, stirring it all from time to time as you continue to prepare other ingredients. Add three to five fat garlic cloves, minced. Peel, core and chop a small apple and add.

Another traditional ingredient in cassoulet is bacon. This wasn’t in Nancy’s recipe, but I added it to mine. However, I had a half package of prosciutto (about 2 ounces) on hand. I chopped and fried that in a small sauté pan with a little butter and added it to the stock pot. Or use three or four slices of regular bacon, fried and chopped.

Add two 15-ounce cans of Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained. I used one of each. Cannellini beans are so fat and tender, they are perfect for such a dish. Add a small can or package of frozen lima beans.

Add two 14-ounce cans of chicken broth, or chicken base and water. Add a small can of tomato paste and a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes.

The herbs add so many flavors to a good cassoulet. Add 11/2 to 2 tablespoons of rosemary (fresh or dried) and sage and a couple of bay leaves. I also added a heaping teaspoon each of thyme and Italian spice. Finally add two or three dashes of Tabasco sauce.

At this point, I realized it was more of an Italian stew than a traditional French one. Nevertheless, it was absolutely delicious and only got better the next day.

Note that it does not call for any salt. The salt is already in the meats and the Tabasco provides a bit of peppery flavor.

Simmer on the stove for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour on low heat. Serve in large, flat soup bowls if you have them and sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of finely chopped parsley. All you need to complete this meal is a crusty bread and a glass of hearty red wine.

Karyn Lindberg has called Olympia home since 1988. She is passionate about cooking and entertaining. You can reach her at cookingkaryn@comcast.net. Shopping list

Sweet Italian sausage (1 pound)

Ring of Kielbasa (1 pound)

Three leeks

Garlic

Small apple

Canned, diced tomatoes (14 ounces)

Two cans Great Northern or cannellini beans

Canned or frozen lima beans (about 10 ounces)

Two 14-ounce cans chicken broth

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

Parsley

Pantry items

Olive oil

Rosemary (fresh or dried)

Sage

Bay leaves

Tabasco sauce