Mark Bittman's New Cassoulet

I've not been a big one for making stews because of the tendency of the vegetables to dissolve into a big homogeneous mass. Mmmm. So I was delighted when I tried Mark Bittman's new take on the cassoulet. This cassoulet (a European stew involving meat and white beans) has less meat per portion than a traditional recipe, more than making up for it in vegetables and beans. And most importantly, the amount of cooking time per vegetable is spot on, resulting in a juicy stew where many of the vegetables maintain their shape and a slight crunch.

He recommends eating it with a hunk of crusty bread - and we were more than happy to oblige.

Another thing that is so wonderful about this recipe? All the built-in variations - you can use sausages or chicken or chops and wine or stock or water and leeks or onions or shallots, meaning more often than not, you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboard and fridge at any given time.

Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausages, bone-in pork chops, confit duck legs, or duck breasts, or a combination
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 leeks or onions, trimmed, washed, and sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchinis or 1 small head green cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups chopped tomatoes, with their juice (canned are fine)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups cooked white beans (canned are OK), drained and liquid reserved in any case
• 2 cups stock, dry red wine, bean cooking liquid, or water, plus more as needed
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Method

• 1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the meat, and cook, turning as needed, until the meat is deeply browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

• 2. Turn the heat to medium and add the garlic, leeks or onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini or cabbage; and sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their liquid, the reserved meat, and the herbs and bring to a boil. Add the beans; bring to a boil again, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but continuously. Cook for about 20 minutes, adding the liquid when the mixture gets thick and the vegetables are melting away.
• 3. Fish out the meat and remove the bones and skin as needed. Chop into chunks and return to the pot along with the cayenne. Cook another minute or two to warm through, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.

Source: "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman (Simon and Schuster, 2008)

Photo source - Toujour Delish's kitchen - mmmm, beans!