Chicken Cassoulet
Equipment
- Dutch oven (like a Le Creuset or Staub, 5.5 qt or larger)
- Wooden spoon
- Chef’s Knife
- Cutting board
- Medium mixing bowl
- Oven-safe baking dish (if you want to crisp the topping under a broiler)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on preferred – 6 pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- Smoked sausage like andouille or kielbasa – 8 oz, sliced into thick coins
- Yellow onion – 1 large diced
- Carrots – 2 medium peeled and diced
- Celery stalks – 2 diced
- Garlic cloves – 4 minced
- Tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
- Dry white wine – ½ cup
- Chicken broth – 2 cups
- Canned white beans cannellini or Great Northern – 2 cans, drained and rinsed
- Bay leaf – 1
- Fresh thyme – 4 sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Breadcrumbs preferably panko – ¾ cup
- Butter – 2 tablespoons melted
- Fresh parsley – for garnish optional
Instructions
Step 1: Season and Sear the Chicken
- Pat your chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. In your Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin-side down first, until the skin is golden brown and crisp—about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Step 2: Brown the Sausage and Sauté the Veggies
- In the same pot, add the sausage slices and cook until browned. Then add diced onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté until softened—about 8 minutes. Toss in the garlic and tomato paste, stirring until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly (2 minutes).
Step 3: Deglaze and Build Flavor
- Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it simmer for a minute, then stir in the chicken broth, white beans, bay leaf, and thyme. Return the chicken (skin-side up) to the pot, nestling them slightly into the liquid without fully submerging the crispy skin.
Step 4: Simmer and Thicken
- Bring everything to a low simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for about 25 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the broth to reduce slightly.
Step 5: Add Breadcrumb Topping
- In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with melted butter and a pinch of salt. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven, sprinkle the topping evenly over the cassoulet, and transfer the whole pot to the oven under a preheated broiler for 3-5 minutes—just until golden and crispy on top.
Step 6: Serve and Garnish
- Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle fresh parsley over the top, and serve hot. A good crusty baguette wouldn’t hurt here either.