<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"|\"](\"https:\/\/staging.infonews.ca\/inwine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/MediaItemID80306-5998.jpg\" "\\"|\\"")
\n
These chilly winter days call for a big bowl of yummy cassoulet. This easy version comes from my B.C. Wine Lover’s Cookbook and was shared by the Bibby family of Nighthawk Vineyards. I also created a video and interview for the British Columbia Wine Institute (click on image below to watch). Enjoy!<\/p>\n
%%Video1%%<\/p>\n
Nighthawk Cassoulet
Serves 6–8<\/p>\n
2 cups (1 lb) dry white beans (or canned)
2 Tbsp duck fat or peanut oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Sea salt and pepper
4 oz pork belly, diced
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine (like Nighthawk Chardonnay)
4 oz chorizo sausage, diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp chopped lemon thyme or regular thyme leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf<\/p>\n
Note: This cassoulet can also be made as a vegetarian dish. Swap the chicken for two roasted poblano chili peppers, leave out the pork belly and chorizo, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and add 2 Tbsp julienned sun-dried tomatoes along with the garlic.<\/p>\n
(If using dry beans) cover the beans with water and soak overnight.<\/p>\n
In a sauté pan over high heat, heat the duck fat and sear both sides of the chicken thighs, about 2 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the pan and put it in a large slow cooker.<\/p>\n
Using the same pan, sauté the pork belly until golden brown. Add the onions, carrots and celery, cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Cook for another minute, then deglaze the pan with the white wine and transfer the contents to the slow cooker.<\/p>\n
Drain the white beans and add to the slow cooker along with the chorizo, chicken stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Cook on the high setting for 6 hours, or until the beans are tender.<\/p>\n
Remove the chicken from the bones, shred the meat and add it back into the cassoulet.<\/p>\n
Season with salt and pepper to taste.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Pair with: Nighthawk Vineyards Chardonnay. Aged for eight months in French oak, this delicate wine features aromatic elegance and mineral complexity distinctive to this high-altitude vineyard. It is silky and smooth on the mid palate, with a crisp, long finish.<\/p>\n
The B.C. Wine Lover's Cookbook available at your local bookstores or click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n