SIMPLIFIED CASSOULET WITH PORK AND KIELBASA

SIMPLIFIED CASSOULET WITH PORK AND KIELBASA image

Categories Chicken

Number Of Ingredients 26

Ingredients

Chicken
1cup kosher salt or 1/2 cup table salt
1cup granulated sugar
10 bone in chicken thighs (about 3 1/2 pounds), skin and excess fat removed
Topping
6slices high-quality sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)
3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Beans
1pound dried flageolet beans or Great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed
1 medium onion, peeled and left whole
1medium head garlic, outer papery skin removed and top 1/2 inch sliced off
1teaspoon table salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
6slices bacon (about 6 ounces), chopped medium
1pound boneless pork loin roast (blade-end), trimmed of excess fat and silver skin and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped fine
2medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1tablespoon tomato paste
1sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4teaspoon ground cloves
Ground black pepper
3 1/2cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2cup dry white wine
1/2pound kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices

Steps:

Brining the Chicken: In gallon-sized zip-lock bag, dissolve salt + sugar in 1 qt cold water. Add chicken, pressing out air ; seal and refrigerate 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to use. 2. Preparing the Topping: While chicken is brining, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix bread crumbs and butter in small baking dish. Bake, tossing occasionally, until light golden brown and crisp, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature; set aside. 3. Bring the beans, whole onion, garlic head, salt, pepper and 8 cups water to a boil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are almost fully tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain the beans and discard the onion and garlic. 4. While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until just beginning to crisp and most of the fat has rendered, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add half of the bacon to the pot with the beans; transfer the remaining bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high; when the bacon fat is shimmering, add half of the chicken thighs, fleshy-side down; cook until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned on second side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate; repeat with remaining thighs and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot. Return pot to medium heat; add pork pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add minced garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and pepper to taste; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and wine, scraping up browned bits of