French-Style White Bean Stew for Two
By Christie MorrisonPublished on January 4, 2016
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Canned navy or great Northern beans can be substituted for the cannellini beans. Traditional cassoulet uses Toulouse sausage, a garlicky sausage from France; use it if you can find it.
Instructions
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add bread and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and sausage and cook, rotating sausage occasionally but leaving chicken undisturbed, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
- Add onion, tomatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and vermouth, scraping up any browned bits. Add beans and stir to combine.
- Add chicken, skin side up; sausage; and accumulated juices to bean mixture and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken registers 175 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove lid, increase heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer until sauce is slightly thickened and liquid falls just below surface of beans, about 10 minutes longer. (Mixture will still be very loose but will continue to thicken as it sits.) Off heat, top stew with toasted bread and sprinkle with parsley. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 2Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Cassoulet, the revered stew from France, is also a cold-weather favorite in America. Typically composed of garlicky white beans and various meats, including garlic sausage, duck confit, pork shoulder or loin, and sometimes game, it takes days to prepare and can feed a hungry crowd. For this recipe, we look to cassoulet as our inspiration and create a stew that’s both quick to make and will feed only two. We keep the garlic sausage but substitute rich, meaty chicken thighs for the duck confit. Starting with canned cannellini beans eliminates an overnight soak. We sauté drained tomatoes with onions to concentrate their flavor and use a healthy splash of dry vermouth to enhance the beans and sauce. The dish comes together easily on the stovetop before being topped with toasted bread crumbs.
Before You Begin
Canned navy or great Northern beans can be substituted for the cannellini beans. Traditional cassoulet uses Toulouse sausage, a garlicky sausage from France; use it if you can find it.
Instructions
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add bread and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and sausage and cook, rotating sausage occasionally but leaving chicken undisturbed, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
- Add onion, tomatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and vermouth, scraping up any browned bits. Add beans and stir to combine.
- Add chicken, skin side up; sausage; and accumulated juices to bean mixture and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken registers 175 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove lid, increase heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer until sauce is slightly thickened and liquid falls just below surface of beans, about 10 minutes longer. (Mixture will still be very loose but will continue to thicken as it sits.) Off heat, top stew with toasted bread and sprinkle with parsley. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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