Easy French Cassoulet With Wine Beans Sausage Ham And Herbs Recipes

CHEAT'S FRENCH CASSOULET - CROCK POT OR LE CREUSET

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet - fry the bacon until nearly crisp & then add the onions, garlic, & carrots. Cook over a high heat until they are just soft on the outside & turning a golden colour. Drain well & remove from pan. Add to crock pot or Le Creuset casserole dish.
• Add sausages and brown - remove & add to onion mixture.
• Add pork chop pieces & brown - remove and add to above mixture.
• Make up chicken stock and add wine. Mix tomatoes in with stock & teaspoon of sugar.
• Pour stock and tomatoes over the cassoulet in crock pot or le creuset - add bouquet garni & give everything a good stir!
• Add the beans and stir well again.
• Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and cook for up to 6 hours on high in crock pot or in le cresuet for 3 hours in a slow oven with the lid on, 150C/300°F.
• Half an hour before serving, take lid of le creuset to brown the top. It's difficult to brown in a crock pot, but it's not that essential to brown the top, as the reason behind the breadcrumbs is to soak up some of the juice & make a crust on top! If your crock pot is the type which you can put under the grill, then do so!
• Serve with mountains of fluffy mashed potatoes & stir-fried Savoy Cabbage.
• NOTE ON SAUSAGES:.
• Try to use very good quality high meat content sausages; in France Toulouse sausages are mainly used - they generally have a meat content of at least 85%. Good quality English style sausages are also good - I have a recipe posted for some English sausages: Recipe #190045.
• However, any kind of sausage can be used and in the past I have used: Choritzo, Italian Style, Chipolatas etc.
• The Pork chops can be replaced with chicken pieces, lamb steaks or Confit D'Canard - preserved duck, if you are lucky enought to have some!

EASY HERB CRUST CASSOULET

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 6 (10-oz) individual baking dishes (ramekins) with cooking spray.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain sausage on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Cook onion, carrot and garlic in drippings 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender. Stir in sausage, beans and broth. Reduce heat; simmer 6 minutes. Stir in half of the thyme; spoon into baking dishes.
• In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, egg and remaining thyme with fork until moistened. Pour batter over sausage mixture in each baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.