Deep-Fried Turkey Cassoulet

Posted by Shawn Kocher on November 21, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Cassoulet is the original French comfort food. A slow-cooked menage of haricots blancs (white beans), pork, duck or goose, and sausages. The flavors are very outstanding, rich and filling, and balanced enough to be a meal in itself. Though most French recipes are very technical, time consuming, and by-the-book, I have seen cassoulet made with several different combinations of ingredients. Cassoulet is named after the dish it is cooked in, the cassole, which is a ceramic cooking pot that is glazed on the inside. Thus, whatever you put in a cassole, could effectively be called a cassoulet. So, I’m going to put in what I want and cook it in what I want.

Now enough with all that boring history rigmarole, y’all are here to eat! And this close to Thanksgiving-time, you sure as hell outta be. In order to prepare my palate and my gut for the gluttonous warfare that is Thanksgiving, I have decided to mix my love for French cooking with my love of Thanksgiving. And while I’m at it, I might as well used deep fried turkey and get some Southern in there. So consider this my Thanks-giving, gut bustin’, ole’ fashioned, Southern-style, fancy-French cassoulet.

Deep-Fried Turkey Cassoulet

2 pound turkey breast, skin-on and deep fried
3 sweet turkey sausages, sliced
2-1/2 pounds of Canneloni beans
1 cup of panko
1 cup of a dry Sauvignon Blanc
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, pressed and minced
1/2 pound of pearl onions
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a pan. Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the raw turkey sausages and cook until browned on all sides. Add the wine and the stock and reduce by half. While the broth is reducing, roughly chop your turkey breast into bite-sized pieces.

In another pan, add the remaining oil and panko crumbs. Cook for 5 or so minutes, mixing frequently, until the crumbs are toasted.

Now for the slow cooker. Combine all ingredients and mix well in a slow cooker. Make sure that the panko and thyme are well mixed. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Add the reduced broth, cover, and cook for 1 hour on high and 2 on low, folding every 30 minutes. Serve.