Authentic Cassoulet - Daring Cooks

I went on a culinary journey without even leaving my kitchen. I took 4 days to create an authentic Duck Confit, Pork Belly, Sausage Cassoulet (rhymes with Hoo-Ray!) I didn't spend every hour of those four days just cooking this, of course. In fact, I just did a little each day while cooking dinner or other food. At the end of the week - Voila, I had a giant pot of comforting Cassoulet for the weekend. For me, it was part of the monthly food blogging challenge called Daring Cooks. A chosen host submits a technique, recipe, cultural aspect of cooking and it is meant to encourage us brave cooks to stretch and grow (and this month was no exception.) Our January 2011 Challenge comes from Jenni of The Gingered Whisk and Lisa from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. They have challenged the Daring Cooks to learn how to make a confit and use it within the traditional French dish of Cassoulet. They have chosen a traditional recipe from Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman.

For you, I hope it encourages you to try something new also. This Cassoulet experience was particularly positive because all along the way we were creating separate dishes that could be a welcome addition to a culinary arsenal on their own:

Duck Confit
Duck Fat (incredible for french fries or potato casseroles)
White Northern Beans (cooked with Pork Back and herbs)
Sauteed Italian Sausages with Onions and Garlic Cassoulet Since making this Cassoulet felt like a little journey, I thought I'd give you the recipe like a travel journal. I've listed things as I did them each day. You can use it to follow along when you make this, or create your own way that matches your lifestyle. At the end, I'll include the recipe as given, also. My only regret is that I can't add Click-n-Sniff to this posting because the smells of browning duck, pork, sausages, onions, legumes and herbs along the way were like a daily aromatic amuse bouche for the whole family and had them excited about the weekend bounty they ultimately devoured.

Steps: Day 1-

1) I bought a whole duck, broke it down into leg/thighs, breasts, wings, carcass and fat trimmings.
2) Liberally rubbed Sea Salt all over the leg/thighs and covered with plastic on a plate and refrigerated over night.
3) Trimmed the 2 breasts and held in fridge for another use.
4) Saved carcass and wings for Duck Stock
5) Placed all fat into a deep sided skillet and rendered it for duck fat, cooled it and held in refrigerator.

Day 2 -

1) Placed the leg/thighs into a baking dish, nestled in a few twigs of thyme and rosemary and a couple cloves of garlic, then covered in melted duck fat.
2) Cooked in the oven 375F for 1 hour.
3) In a deep pot, placed 3 cups of dried Northern White beans and covered with water. I placed those in refrigerator for overnight. Day 3-

1) Drained beans and put them in a large pot with a bouquet garni (a tied selection of parsley and thyme), a bay leaf, a handful of pork rind and about 1 lb pork belly.
2) Heated the bean, etc. to a boil, then reduced to a simmer for 30 minutes, added a little salt/pepper, stirred things up and simmered for another 30 minutes til the beans were tender.
3) Removed the onions and herbs and threw those away. Removed the Pork Belly: cooled, wrapped and held in the refrigerator. Drained the beans: cooled and held the beans and the water separately for later. Removed the pork rind for using when browning the sausages.
4) In a skillet on Med/High, I heated a few ounces of duck fat til very hot and added the sausages to the pan. I browned the sausages, removed and held those on a paper plate while browning the onions, garlic and pork rind from the beans, in the same hot duck fat.
5) In a blender, I added the browned onions, garlic and another tablespoon of duck fat and pureed until smooth. 6) In a large iron pot I put it all together. I started with a bottom layer of slab bacon, latticed together. I added beans, then layered with Sausage (all along the way adding a few spoons of the puree.) I added more beans, then the Pork Belly...more beans, then the Duck Confit, and ended with beans.
The last step was to pour the reserved bean liquid into the pot, just covering the top layer of beans.
I put the whole pot into a preheated oven on 400F for one hour, then reduced the heat to 250F for 1/2 hour. I removed it, let it cool and refrigerated it overnight so all those individual meals would combine their flavors into one giant savory snuggly for my insides.

Day 4 - Cook and Eat Day :D

By now, everyone in the family knew what we were having for dinner, could say "cassoulet" and even helped set the dishes out; talk about excitement.

I preheated the oven to 375F and cooked the Cassoulet for one hour, reduced the temp to 200F and let it simmer for 1/2 hour.
I wish I had the time to tell you how it tasted.......JUST KIDDING, I mean don't you think you can almost taste it yourself by now? There was a warm hardy full-flavored meat in every bite. The sausage had a tiny bit of spice and heat, the duck had that fall apart texture with a little saltiness, the pork belly was so tender and almost sweet, and it was held together with the creamy white beans and pureed onions. Oh good Lord...oh good, Lord. We had two bowls each, and I had earlier scooped out a small casserole for freezing. When I can leave our son with something so good for dinner on the weekend, it makes for a guilt-free date night for my husband and I.
If you start this on a weekend, you could cut this process in half, I think. Or you could do a little each night like I did. I very much like recipes that contain recipes like this one. Here's the recipe as given to me, (from the travel channel Anthony Bourdain ), which I cut in half. Let me know if you've ever made something like this, or if you try one. Thank you for stopping by to read. Hope I made you hungry. :D

No Knead Pasta - Chard & Mushroom Soup with Fregola - Simple Saturday

Here's the secret to a no-knead pasta, called Fregola: Semolina, Water, and your fingertips. That's it! Fino!

Swiss Chard Mushroom Soup w/ Fregola

Fregola (pronounced, FRAY-Go-la) is Italian. In some parts of Italy the word is actually kinda naughty and means something like "messing around", if ya know what I mean. It has origins from Sardinia, but acts alot like couscous from the Middle East. When it's toasted, it has a little more warmth and nutty taste than couscous and you can't beat homemade anything, right? I first saw this pasta being made on television in Italy (their cooking shows are more like a variety hour sometimes and so fun!) I use Fregola in soups, salads, morning cereal, casseroles, and instead of rice or couscous. Once you make it, you can keep it in an air-tight container for many weeks. There are only 3 steps (2 if you don't want it toasted).

Pour SEMOLINA grains into a bowl (here, I'm using 2 cups)
Using your fingertips, sprinkle with water.
Using your fingertips, every now and then, stir in a big circle. The wet grains will start to form small pasta balls. Sprinkle again, fingertip stir, and repeat until most of the semolina has become small pasta.

Use a strainer to collect your Fregola and gather your unused or tiny fregola on a parchment paper or other bowl.Place your Fregola Pasta on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake/dry in an oven set on low/300F for about 45 minutes (stir the pan a couple times.)

You can also use your Fregola without toasting it. You would simply boil it like you do spaetzle or tiny dumplings.

Once oven dried/baked - you can let your Fregola Pasta cool to use now or later. You could make a lot to use some now and bag the rest in an airtight bag or covered container.

To use Fregola like couscous or rice: Bring 2 cups of stock or water, seasoned, to a boil. Add 1 cup Fregola and cook until liquid has been absorbed (usually about 10 minutes.)

OR: use this recipe I developed for one of my favorite twitter groups of talented bloggers, called #LetsLunch. (To join us each month or check out the tweets - just type the # sign followed by LetsLunch into Twitter online.)
A few years ago, during a time of not so great financial position (aka: barely keeping your head above water) the kids and I used to have "Soup Parties". It was one of those ways that we parents try to cover the stress of "stretching our grocery budget" for the week. The kids loved "Soup Parties" because they got to pick from several different soups on the stove and go back as often as they liked, and the whole table buzz was fun and laughing. Good thing, because "soup party" really meant; lets take everything we have left in the refrigerator and turn it into dinner.
Here's the thing: it has become a family tradition - a memory of great times instead of lean.

Fregola Pasta adds the fun noodle mouth play and some rib-sticking thickness to this very colorful and healthy soup:


RECIPE: Chard & Mushroom Soup w/ Fregola
3 Tbls or so of Olive Oil
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup of white wine (or stock, or apple cider)
1 large can of Whole Tomatoes chopped or hand squished
1 bunch fresh Chard
1 cup chopped Mushrooms
1 qt. Chicken Stock ( or vegetable stock, or water if preferred)
1 can Cannelini (or other white beans) drained
2 cups Fregola (handmade as above recipe, or store bought, or quick rice)
1) In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil and add the carrots, celery, and onions. Cook til tender (about 10 minutes)
2) Add the wine, and stir as the vegetables soak up the flavor. Season with salt and pepper.
3) Stir in the tomatoes, the mushrooms and the chard. Toss to combine.
4) Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes to develop flavor.
5) Add the Fregola and the Cannelini beans. Continue to cook for about 10-15 more minutes, stirring now and then. Add water or stock as needed.
This soup is one of those foods that actually taste even better the next day reheated; or maybe that's just me loving that it's right there waiting. :D
For more INCREDIBLY inventive and soul-warming Fall Soups - check out my #LetsLunch pals:

Cheryl Tiger In The Kitchen - Winter Melon Soup

Danielle Bon Vivant - Carrot Soup & Chicharrons

Ellise Cowgirl Chef - Potimarron ("Frenchy Pumpkin" Soup)

Emma Dreaming of Pots And Pans - Roasted Tomato Soup

Linda Free Range Cookies - Oven-Baked Soup

Mai Hoang Cooking in The Fruit Bowl - Apple Beer Cheese Soup

Steff The Kitchen Trials - Carrot Habanero Soup

Pichelsteiner; You Heard Me. It's a Let's Lunch Bunch Stew

When it gets cold, even in California, it's time for Stew! I was more than happy to have a good hearty stew be the choice for this month's "Let's Lunch" bunch (a casual group of folks on Twitter that agree to join in on a virtual lunch-date every month.) For my cozy concoction this month I chose to make a Pichelsteiner; a classic 3 meat German stew that could warm the heart of a glaciated wolverine. My daughter's fiance, Potsch, is from Munich originally. For Christmas Eve I wanted to make him something that would recall his family holidays in Germany. His mom usually makes Beef Goulash (and you never tread on another mother's traditions), so I needed a different Bavarian Classic. I found a wonderful book, Germany Culinaria, that was very detailed about the food cultures and various regions. It had gorgeous pictures of the very places my husband and I visited in Munich last summer when Chris, (Potsch's Uncle) treated us like royalty in his absolutely cozy and beautiful Hotel and Restaurant, Der Tannenbaum. If you ever have the chance to go, let me know; it's one of the friendliest cities I've ever visited. Potsch was thrilled to have Pichelsteiner (which he made sound so great with the accent and everything) and the rest of us certainly ate our share, too. The recipe is very simple, on purpose; no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking while everyone else is having fun in the living room with music, gifts, and laughs. (Beef, Pork, Veal - cubed with Carrots, Celeriac Root, Leeks, Potatoes, Parsley and Stock) One of the best parts about this stew is how well it freezes, or tastes for lunch the next day. Like most stews; it improves with a little time to marinade the flavors. I just know you'll love the stew ideas from the rest of my virtual lunch mates; just go on Twitter and search using the word #LetsLunch (the hash mark denotes a topic of conversation). And maybe you'd like to join us next month. We've made BLT's, Soups, Salads, Left-overs, Desserts and now-- Stews.

Just like the rules of structure and grammar give the needed tension to poetry that really moves us, so does being given a "challenge" for us self-proclaimed gourmands.

{ALSO; a little side note here - One of our spunky #letslunch gals is sitting in a hospital right this minute, and will hopefully read our lunch posts today. Take a moment to check out her cavalcade of recipes and stories at GeoFooding. Sending you a big-blogging-hug, Karen}

Lets Lunch Bloggers:
A Tiger In The Kitchen
Cowgirl Chef
Bon Vivant
The Cosmic Cowgirl
Pinch My Salt
Serve It Forth

RECIPE: PICHELSTEINER
1lb. Pork (cubed)
1lb. Veal (cubed)
1lb. Beef (cubed)
2 Tbls. Clarified butter
1lb. Potatoes (cubed)
2 Leeks (cut in ring slivers)
3 Carrots (cut in thin disks)
1/2 Celeriac Root
32 oz. Meat Stock
1 Tbls. Parsley (chopped)
Salt & Pepper

In a large bowl, combine all the veggies. In another bowl, combine all the meat.
In a large pot, melt the clarified butter on low/med. Add a layer of meat to the bottom of the pot, then a layer of veggies (salt and pepper). Continue to layer the meat, then veggies and seasonings until all is used. Pour the Stock over and just to cover. Heat the stew mixture to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for about 2 hours. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley to serve.
As they say in Munich: An Guadn

My Fennel takes on Beet 'n Squash

Let's just admit it, I'm a sucker for a Challenge. I'm still new at blogging, so the whole thing is challenging for me. Earlier today, on Twitter, I read about a Vegetable Challenge that was started by She Simmers and Bouchon for 2; called Beets 'n Squash. For this month, the pick was fennel. They may as well have said my name out loud. I LOVE fennel. I've made muffins, omelets, jam, salads, and even ice cream from this Anise-flavored bulb. But the day to post was less than 24 hours from the time I read about it. Of course, I had fennel in the refrigerator, heh heh; and I was itching to use it. So, here's my draw, and let the Challenge begin:

FENNEL 'n ONION SOUP w/Calvados and Melted Gruyere SOUP SHOOTERFennel is a misunderstood vegetable, I think. A lot of folks think they don't like it because they've heard it has a hint of licorice-like taste and that's enough, it looks like celery and then doesn't taste like celery, or they've eaten it when it was limp and old. If you happen to be one of those peeps, I encourage you to give it another try; at least ROAST it with some olive oil/salt/pepper until it gets a little browned. Almost ANYTHING tastes good caramelized, right?

FENNEL/ONION RECIPE

1/2 large bulb fennel
1/2 large onion
1 TBLS. fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBLs. olive oil
2 TBLs. butter
1/4 cup Calvados (or another Apple Brandy, optional: use apple juice)
16 oz. Beef stock (or vegetable stock)
Several slices of French Bread (can be day old)
1/2 cup grated cheese (gruyere preferred)
s/p

Makes 4 1/2 cups servings or 8 mini cups

[I made these little soup shooters in espresso cups and melted the cheese on top with a cook's torch (little hand held gadget, smaller than a hairdryer).]

1) Start with a half bulb of fennel, trimmed and cored, a half large onion, a little fresh thyme, and 4 cloves of garlic.
2) Slice the onion and the fennel in long, thin strips. Strip the thyme branch to use the leaves. Mince the garlic.



3) Put the onions, fennel, 1TBL olive oil, 2TBL butter into a large saucepan and sweat (cook on low) slowly for about 20 minutes. Cook and stir often until the onions and fennel take on a caramelized color. The color builds depth of flavor, so don't rush this part.
4) Deglaze the pan with a shot of Calvados, add the thyme and garlic. Stir while continuing to cook for about 2 minutes.
5) Add the beef stock (or vegetable stock) into the saucepan and cover. Cook on low for about 45 minutes.
6) Toast the French Bread pieces (cut to the size of your serving vessel) on both sides.
7) Ladle soup into bowls (or for a party appetizer into small cups), top with toasted bread, cover in grated cheese and either torch or put under broiler for just a few minutes.

**Optional: serve by the fire and follow with a glass of wine **

Apple Bowl Curry Soup: Let's Lunch

Today's "Let's Lunch" (the international virtual lunch date) entree is a chilled soup. Since it was coinciding with Back-To-School time and a Welcome Luncheon for teachers, I decided to go for apples. And looking for every chance to make the clean-up extra easy - why not make the bowl edible too? This is my Apple Bowl Curry Soup; ABC Soup for short.
The Let's Lunch group is an open invitation idea started by several creative Food Bloggers on Twitter, who were literally across the world from each other. It has become a delicious way to connect on lunch ideas, swap recipes and inspire each other. Now there are a whole group of us, and YOU are always welcome to join in the fun. You can find out about the next "Let's Lunch" by searching #letslunch on twitter, following any of us on twitter (@cheryltan88, @cowgirlchef, @showfoodchef @geokaren, @PinchMySalt, @thenaptimechef ,@blogwelldone,@istelleinad,@barbraaustin, @cosmiccowgirlt, ), or leave a comment here.

Now...soup's on!

This is a very simple soup that has just a hint of curry and mint to give it interest and range of flavor. It does require a hardy crisp apple for the best bite and chilling the apple before cutting makes it easier to scoop out and maintain it's shape.

To prepare the apples, have fresh lemon juice handy to rub over and inside the apples so the flesh doesn't turn brown as it oxidizes.
Slice the wide top end from each apple, about 1/4 way down. Using a paring knife, carefully score around the inside of the apple, leaving about a 1/4 inch rim. Score an X across the apple to help break the core. Using a small spoon or a melon baller, scoop out the flesh of the apple, being careful to leave a good bottom inside and not cut through the apple skin. Be sure to keep all the scooped out apple for the soup, discarding the seeds and core. Rub the cut rim and the insides of the apple bowl with fresh lemon juice to help keep the fresh color. Turn the prepared apples over on a parchment covered plate and chill in the refrigerator while preparing the soup.

Apple Curry Mint Soup
(serves 6)

4-6 cups of peeled & cored apple parts
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/4 tsp. curry powder
juice of 1 lemon
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint + more for garnish
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock
salt/pepper to taste
In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil on medium and saute onion, apple, curry, salt and pepper until the apple is soft. Add the stock and mint leaves - simmer low for 40 minutes. Cool, then add lemon juice and puree for a thick, rich soup. Chill well. Pour to serve. Garnish with creme fraiche and mint sprigs.

**For a thinner soup, just add more stock to the simmer.

** For more of a dessert soup, leave out the curry and add a tsp. of brown sugar instead.

Enjoy, but don't leave this apple on the teacher's desk - it might spill.

Get inspired by other chilled soups, being served at these blogs for today's Let's Lunch:
A Tiger In The Kitchen
The Naptime Chef
GeoFooding
BonVivant
Pinch My Salt
Cowgirl Chef
Serve It Forth
Blog Well Done