Comfort food comes in many shapes and sizes. This cassoulet is a beautiful embodiment of ‘comfort food’, especially on a cold autumn evening. Think of the dish as an elegant version of baked beans (although, the French would probably kill me for saying that). It’s rich with a nice sweetness from the tomatoes. Even though I served this up with roast chicken, and some sautéed kale, it works just as well when ladled into a small baking dish with a few cracked eggs for one hell of a breakfast. Try it some time!

What you’ll need…

Cassoulet:

8 strips bacon

2 tbsp red wine

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2 shallots (minced)

5 cups crushed tomatoes

2 cups pork stock (use chicken stock in lieu)

1 12.5oz can white beans (drained)

1 small zucchini (halved and 1/2″ sliced, approx. 3 cups)

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped)

salt and pepper

Roast Chicken:

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

4 chicken thighs (skin on)

Directions:

Cook the bacon strips in a large, deep pan on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until cooked through, but not crispy. Remove from pan and place onto paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Deglaze the pan with red wine, gently scrapping any bits of bacon stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add in the garlic and shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add remaining cassoulet ingredients to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low heat and let cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

For the chicken, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl and rub evenly over the top of each chicken thigh. Place into a prepared baking dish and let roast in the oven for 35 minutes.

To serve, ladle some cassoulet into a shallow bowl, top with wilted greens of choice (I love kale!) and then a chicken thigh. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Total cook time…1 hour, 10 min