2021 Tour de France - Stage 17: Muret to Saint-Lary-Soulan
The riders are covering a vast swath of the Midi-Pyrénées today, including 3 Category 1 climbs - Cat 1 being the steepest grade and toughest of climbs. It’s going to be a grueling day. The kick-off point of today’s stage jumps back into the Haute-Garrone department of the region and that department falls right into the western reaches of Cassoulet Country! I love cassoulet. What’s not to love? A slow cooking of meats and beans in a homogenous pot full of hot love. Unlike last year’s race, which was pushed to the fall due to Covid, this year’s race is right on time in the heat of mid-summer. It’s also in the midst of a heat wave here in the mid-Atlantic. So, a hot pot of slow-cooked goodness is just not the first thing that is on my mind right now.
Fear not my mangia-minions, I have made a summer cassoulet that is light and seasonal and delicious. Is it more akin to a succotash? Perhaps; but, it’s got all that you expect in a typical cassoulet: meat, duck (I use some fat to brown the chicken), beans...and more beans thanks to summer green beans, and stock, as well as a braise, albeit a brief one. The best is, as part of summer, we don’t want long cooking of beans and heating up the house, so I commit a culinary cardinal sin and use canned beans which helps this dish come together in a snap.
Summertime Cassoulet
Find whatever is fresh at your farmer’s market, or grocery store, and go wild. This dish is a celebration of summer bounty.
2 tbsp duck fat
4 bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs
Fresh herbs (sprigs of rosemary, sage, thyme, and/or parsley)
Garlic
Corn, 2 ears, silk removed but leaving outer leaves attached to stem
6 tbsp butter
Shallot, minced
Fresh green beans, handful, stem-end trimmed and cut into thirds
Asparagus, tips +1-inch slice of stalk portion just under tip
Carrots, peeled and ½ inch dice
~1/2 cup fresh peas
Small squash, halved and sliced 1/2 inch
2+ cups of stock (beef or chicken)
Cannellini beans, canned
Basil or parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 and a grill on high heat.
In a small cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the duck fat, then add in a few sprigs of the fresh herbs and a few whole cloves of peeled garlic and cook until fragrant. Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Push the herbs and garlic toward the sides of the skillet and place the chicken skin-side down. Cook until browned, 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute or two. Then place the skillet in the oven to continue cooking the chicken, about 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165..
While the chicken is cooking on the stove top, lightly oil the corn and grill over high heat until browned. Be sure to leave the outer husks in-tact so that they provide some smoke flavor while the corn cooks. Once the corn is cooked, set aside to cool.
While the chicken cooks in the oven, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large, non-stick skillet, over medium heat. Sauté the shallot along with 2 minced cloves of garlic, until translucent. Then add in the green beans, asparagus, carrots, squash, and peas. Season with salt and pepper, add a little olive oil and stir until combined. Pour in 2 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a light, but steady, simmer.
While the vegetables cook, run a knife down the ears of corn to remove the kernels. You can do this in a bowl to ensure the corn kernels don’t go rolling away when they land. Reserve. Rinse the cannellini beans under water, drain and reserve.
Once the green beans are tender (not soggy, just cooked), add in the corn and cannellini beans, along with 2 tbsp of butter. Stir to combine and heat the beans and corn. Taste for any seasoning needs. At this point, your chicken should be fully cooked and rested for about 5 minutes.
To serve, place the vegetable mixture and broth into a shallow bowl and top with the cooked chicken. Top with a chiffonade of basil or some minced fresh parsley.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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