Thomas Keller's Slow-Cooker Cassoulet
Thomas Keller's Slow-Cooker Cassoulet is rated
out of
5 by
9.
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
600 minutes
Servings:
8
Beloved by generations of French cooks, cassoulet is a rustic, slow-cooked dish made with white beans and a lavish assortment of meats, from duck confit or foie gras to sausages and succulent cuts of pork, lamb or poultry. Here, we feature an adaptation of the Languedoc specialty from Thomas Keller, the internationally acclaimed chef of The French Laundry, in Northern California. To simplify the dish for home cooks, Chef Keller developed his cassoulet recipe for us utilizing the All-Clad Deluxe slow cooker.
Be sure to use precooked Spanish-style chorizo sausage links, not fresh Mexican-style chorizo. Spanish chorizo is available in a variety of textures; purchase a softer-style sausage, rather than a dry one, for this dish; dry sausages are best suited for slicing and eating on their own, as a tapa.
Be sure to use precooked Spanish-style chorizo sausage links, not fresh Mexican-style chorizo. Spanish chorizo is available in a variety of textures; purchase a softer-style sausage, rather than a dry one, for this dish; dry sausages are best suited for slicing and eating on their own, as a tapa.
Ingredients:
- 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 8 pieces and trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbs. canola oil
- 1 cup panko
- 4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
- 4 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions (about 3 medium onions)
- 2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 can (35 oz.) peeled Italian plum tomatoes, drained and
coarsely chopped - 2 cups chicken broth
- 12 cups cooked Great Northern beans or other small white
beans, drained - 6 fully cooked or smoked chorizo or garlic sausage links,
about 1 1/2 lb. total, each halved on the diagonal - 1 garlic head, halved crosswise
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 lb. baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
- Coarse sea salt, such as sel gris, for garnish
Directions:
Season the pork generously with kosher salt and pepper; set aside.
In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker over medium-high heat, combine the canola oil and panko. Cook, stirring constantly, until the panko is toasted and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the panko to a baking sheet and season with kosher salt and pepper.
Add the bacon to the insert and cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the insert.
Add half of the pork to the insert and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining pork.
Add the onions and 1 tsp. kosher salt to the insert and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes and broth. Remove the insert from the heat and add the beans, pork, chorizo and garlic.
Place the insert on the slow-cooker base, cover and cook on low until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork, 9 to 10 hours. Skim off the fat, and remove and discard the garlic. Fold in the panko and the 1/4 cup parsley. Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and pepper.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat the broiler.
Brush the baguette slices with olive oil. Arrange the slices, oiled side up, on top of the cassoulet, overlapping them. Broil until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with the reserved bacon, sea salt and parsley. Serves 8 to 10.
Adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller, Chef/Owner, The French Laundry.
In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker over medium-high heat, combine the canola oil and panko. Cook, stirring constantly, until the panko is toasted and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the panko to a baking sheet and season with kosher salt and pepper.
Add the bacon to the insert and cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the insert.
Add half of the pork to the insert and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining pork.
Add the onions and 1 tsp. kosher salt to the insert and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes and broth. Remove the insert from the heat and add the beans, pork, chorizo and garlic.
Place the insert on the slow-cooker base, cover and cook on low until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork, 9 to 10 hours. Skim off the fat, and remove and discard the garlic. Fold in the panko and the 1/4 cup parsley. Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and pepper.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat the broiler.
Brush the baguette slices with olive oil. Arrange the slices, oiled side up, on top of the cassoulet, overlapping them. Broil until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with the reserved bacon, sea salt and parsley. Serves 8 to 10.
Adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller, Chef/Owner, The French Laundry.
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Rated 5 out of
5
by
MegA from
Great!
Perfect for a cold winter day. This is the best slow cooker recipe- served to a foodie crowd and everyone enjoyed it. Followed directions as stated and would not change anything.
Date published: 2020-01-19
Rated 4 out of
5
by
marcbenjamin from
Considering the ease, this is great.
I’ve been a private chef for a long time. I’ve make traditional boeuf bourguignon only once. It was an enormous amount of work and it was enormously satisfying. But if you don’t have hours and hours for various kinds of prep this is a great alternative. I used portabella cut somewhat large instead of sliced button
mushrooms which added a nice touch. Also could not disagree enough with previous reviewer who took issue with panko. They’re breadcrumbs and tasty nicely crunchy ones at that. There seems to be at least one serving of xenophobia and a pinch of ignorance in that review. All cuisine always has and always borrows from other cuisines.
Date published: 2019-03-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Trinca from
Perfect for a large group
I made the Cassoulet for twelve people. I made it the day before serving and it was excellent. Instead of the chorizo I used Toulouse sausages. I browned the sausages in advance before adding to the crock pot. I also used ayocote blanco beans. Note that the crock pot used in this recipe is 7 quarts. One guest commented that the Cassoulet was better than the ones she had in Paris.
Date published: 2014-12-27
Rated 5 out of
5
by
gulfcoastcook from
Tastes Wonderful
I've tried this several times and each time it's great. I have started adding some duck to it and that makes it even more authentic.
To the recent reviewer who broke their cooker, you have to use a frying pan for the prep cooking unless you have a cooker with a steel insert. The one shown on the recipe page has one of those.
Date published: 2014-11-24
Rated 1 out of
5
by
KLJones from
Which slow cooker are you using?
This recipe needs to specify what type of slow cooker it is using. Not only did this recipe result in cracking of my crock pot insert when I cooked it in on the stove top, but the proportions seem entirely off. It ruined my slow cooker and wasted a half hour of effort!
Date published: 2014-10-19
Rated 5 out of
5
by
jmspdx from
Beautiful and rustic
I've made many different versions of cassoulet over the years, including Child's and Pepin's, and I think this was our favorite. It's more labor intensive than most would expect from a slow cooker meal, but well worth the effort. The dish is packed with well-developed flavors. My husband commented that he could imagine it being spooned out of an earthenware pot in a French farmhouse. You could easily vary this basic recipe with all sorts of meats and sausages, or top it with some duck confit, but it's pretty wonderful just as written.
Date published: 2013-03-12
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Chiareality from
Smart simple adaptation of the traditional recipe
NOTE:
I like Keller's take, its worry free. But
DO NOT ATTEMPT this precise recipe if you don't have a slow cooker. Consult the original.
The recipe is excellent though poorly written. Most of the work take places in the morning, there's a huge 9-10 hour pause in the middle, the breadcrumbs (I found Panko worked just fine) are the only do ahead, so they really dry out.
Porkshoulder is great, but i don't care for Chirizo in this. I used a duck sausage, just your basic label. I added a ham hock when cooking the beans, took it out and discarded afterwards. Although I used a lot more beans, in this recipe they're only limiting you to twelve cups here because that's the limit as to what will fit in the slow cooker. Cassolet features white beans, it's meant to be eaten by many. More beans. As much as twice as many. The ham hock helps the flavor. I think you could use nearly any fowl in here as well. Duck is best for the great fat.
Date published: 2013-02-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Broadsheet from
Will make again
I used 2 lbs. of pork shoulder, a whole rabbit (skinned), and 2 duck breasts. Simply brown the meat as directed. A good Toulouse garlic sausage is preferable to chorizo, which is too spicy for this dish, and worth seeking out. Definitely par cook the beans, or add them halfway through the process, or they get mushy. I would also use homemade toasted bread crumbs mixed with Herbs d'Provence instead of panko, and add a TBL of the herbs to the dish itself. Lovely winter meal. Dinner party worthy. Lasts for days! I have made Cassoulet per Julia Child's famous recipe, and this is every bit as good. Both versions take more than a day to prepare, and like any good chili, soup, or stew - are better the next day.
Date published: 2013-01-16