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Confit Chicken Thigh and Andouille Sausage Cassoulet

This riff on a classic cassoulet skips most of the exotic ingredients and elaborate preparation but still delivers deep rich flavor.
Servings: 4
Author: Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Prepared Beans

  • 1½ cups dried Tarbais beans such as Rancho Gordo Cassoulet beans
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 slice thick bacon cut into quarters (optional)
  • 1 small carrot cut into quarters
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cloves garlic whole
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Parmesan rind optional

Chicken Confit

  • 1½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 head of garlic halved crosswise
  • 2 large shallots halved
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 juniper berries
  • 1 cup olive oil

Cassoulet

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 4 cups prepared beans
  • 1 cup bean cooking liquid
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 2 large andouille sausages or other smoked sausages
  • 1 thick slice sourdough bread

Instructions

Prepare the chicken confit

  • Preheat oven to 225°.
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a small Dutch oven or other heavy pot.
  • Arrange garlic, shallots, thyme, bay leaves, and juniper berries around chicken; drizzle oil over.
  • Bring to a very low simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and transfer to oven.
  • Cook until meat is very tender, 2–2½ hours.
  • Let cool in oil (preferably overnight). Reserve oil, garlic, and shallots.

Brine beans

  • Dissolve 1-1/2 tablespoons of salt in 2 quarts of water.
  • Add beans and brine overnight.

Cook beans

  • Add olive oil to a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.
  • When the oil is shimmering, add bacon and cook until most of the fat is rendered and the bacon is beginning to crisp.
  • Add the carrot, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, and thyme to the pot.
  • Simmer until the onions begin to soften.
  • Rinse beans, and add to the saucepan.
  • Add water to cover beans by one inch.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until beans are tender, about 45 minutes.
  • Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Pick out the aromatics.

Prepare the cassoulet

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Heat ⅓ cup oil from chicken confit in a large skillet over medium.
  • Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10–12 minutes.
  • Squeeze garlic cloves from chicken confit from their skins into the skillet.
  • Add the tomatoes, crushing with your hands.
  • Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  • Add beans and their cooking liquid.
  • Skim off remaining fat from chicken confit and pour juices (about ½ cup) into the skillet (reheat fat in the pot just enough to loosen juices underneath if needed).
  • Bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper.

Bake the cassoulet

  • Transfer bean mixture to a 2–2½-qt. baking dish.
  • Nestle the chicken into the beans, leaving as much skin exposed as possible, then tuck the sausage and shallots from the confit chicken around.
  • Cook until chicken skin is very crisp and the cassoulet is nicely browned, about 2 hours.

Bread crumbs

  • Pulse bread in a blender or food processor to medium-fine crumbs.
  • Toss crumbs in a small bowl with 1 Tbsp. oil from confit chicken (use remaining oil for sautéeing vegetables); season lightly with salt.
  • Top cassoulet with breadcrumbs and cook until they are golden brown, 20–25 minutes.

Notes

Do Ahead: Chicken can be cooked 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Remember to brine the beans overnight and cook them the next day before preparing the cassoulet.