Cook for a crowd with a cassoulet

Entertaining a crowd can be a lot of work, but there’s also a lot of excitement and fulfillment when welcoming loved ones into your home. When hosting includes homecooking, hosts may worry they won’t get to spend too much time with their guests. However, when using a slow cooker to prepare meals for a crowd, hosts can get much of the work done long before the first guest arrives.
Hosts who want to show off their culinary chops can try this recipe for “Classic Cassoulet” from Andrew Schloss’ “Cooking Slow: Recipes for Slowing Down and Cooking More” (Chronicle Books). A stew made with meat and beans, cassoulet was once peasant fare that originated in southwestern France. However, Schloss notes that cassoulet is now one of the most sophisticated dishes that is perfected by moving it from the oven to the slow cooker, making it an ideal offer at dinner parties where food will be the focus.
CLASSIC CASSOULET
1 lb. dried large white beans, such as cannellini or baby limas
1 duck, such as Muscovy or Pekin, about 4 lbs.
1 lb. boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. garlic sausages, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 oz. smoked sausages, such as andouille, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large celery stalks, cut into ½-inch slices
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Homemade Italian Seasoning (see below)
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
½ cup dry white wine
1 quart good-quality low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth, or a mixture
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pick over beans for stones or grit. Rinse in a colander and drain well. Put beans in a bowl and add water to cover by at least 3 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain.
Meanwhile, cut duck into 8 serving pieces and trim off all visible fat and excess skin; reserve duck pieces and duck fat and skin separately. Season duck pieces and lamb with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Cook duck fat and skin in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until between ¼ and 1/3 cup of fat is in the pan, about 4 minutes. Remove solid pieces of fat and skin, and discard. Brown duck in the hot fat on both sides and set aside. Brown lamb and set aside. Brown sausage pieces on all sides, and set aside.
Add onion and celery to the skillet and sauté until lightly browned. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, nutmeg and cloves, and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add beef broth and tomatoes, and bring to a boil.
To assemble the cassoulet, layer beans and meats, in alternating layers (four of beans, three of meats), in a 6-quart slow cooker, starting and ending with beans. Pour liquid over all. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours on low.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix bread crumbs and parsley in a small bowl, and scatter over the top of the cassoulet. Bake until the top is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Serves 12
HOMEMADE ITALIAN SEASONING
1 Tbsp. dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves
1½ tsp. crushed dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1 tsp. rubbed sage
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Mix together all ingredients. Store for up to 1 month in a closed container in a dark cabinet.
Makes ¼ cup.