Catherine's Birthday Dinner

It was Catherine's birthday tonight, and I decided to try something I've wanted to make for a while: cassoulet. I know that making French food for Catherine is a bit like taking coals to Newcastle, but I've never had cassoulet and wanted her opinion. I didn't make the traditional, three-day, pork rind-lamb bones-and goose fat version: this is yet another Pam Anderson simplified and slightly Americanized version. Cassoulet has many different versions, but it's basically a slow-cooked stew of meat and beans. Catherine liked the bread crumb topping, which is apparently not traditional.

Since cassoulet is so heavy, I started with crudites in vinaigrette and a blue cheese dip and finished with a bright green salad. I'll post those recipes, along with the carrot/pineapple cupcakes we served for dessert, in another post.

Note: Cassoulet is a great choice for a fall/winter buffet, especially one where guests aren't eating at table. Everything is bite-sized, so there's not need for a knife. It can be made a day or two ahead of time and finished before serving - in fact, the flavors will be better if they have time to meld.

Cassoulet (adapted from Pam Anderson)

3 pounds boneless lamb or pork shoulder roast, cut into 11/2-inch cubes (I used pork)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 cup water for sausages
1/2 pound kielbasa, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/2 pounds boneless duck breast halves (I used three duck legs)
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup full-bodied dry red wine
reserved duck fat
2 large onions, cut into medium dice
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced (I used bacon)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 (16 ounce) cans white beans, drained
3 cups fresh bread crumbs (process sliced bread in a food processor or blender)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Place pork cubes in a bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, turning to coat.

Place Italian sausages, 1 cup water, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy roasting pan set over two burners. Cover with heavy-duty foil and turn heat to medium-high. Cook until sausages lose their raw color, about 5 minutes. Remove foil (reserve it) and continue to cook until water evaporates. Add smoked sausages and cook, turning frequently, until all sausages are browned, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut Italian sausages into bite-size chunks. Halve smoked sausages lengthwise. Set aside.

Generously sprinkle duck breasts/legs with salt and pepper. Reduce heat under roasting pan and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook until fat has rendered and skin is mahogany brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Turn duck breasts over and continue to cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes longer.
Remove duck from pan. Drain fat from pan and reserve. Slice each breast crosswise into 4 pieces. (I just shredded the meat.)

Return roasting pan to medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and cook, turning once, until a brown crust forms on two sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to a large ovenproof pot; set roasting pan aside. Add broth mixture and wine to lamb and cover with reserved foil, pressing down so that it almost touches meat, then sealing foil around top of pot, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Bring to a simmer and simmer for a few minutes to burn off alcohol. Seal foil completely, then cover pot with lid. Bake, without checking pot, for 1 hour and 15 minutes; meat will be very tender.

Meanwhile, reheat roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add enough reserved duck fat or olive oil to pan to equal 2 tablespoons. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add bacon and thyme and saute to blend flavors, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and beans and simmer to blend flavors, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Transfer cooked lamb and broth to roasting pan. Add duck, sausages, and enough water to make a soupy, moist casserole. You can let the cassoulet mixture stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

An hour before serving, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring cassoulet to a simmer.

Mix bread crumbs, melted butter, and parsley and sprinkle over cassoulet. Bake until crumbs are golden and stew is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, and serve.

Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti

Here's a good recipe for when you need to bring a meal to someone - comfort food that almost everyone would like. And if you can't eat it right away, it can be frozen.

In the picture above, I used whole wheat pasta, but you can obviously use regular. A week later I made it for a neighbor and reduced the amount of chicken and added a thawed, drained 10-oz. package of frozen spinach, making it a whole meal. Just remember to drain the spinach thoroughly!

Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chicken broth
(note: you can sub one can cream of chicken soup for the previous three ingredients)
1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup dry white wine, apple juice or white grape juice, or chicken broth
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 teaspoon French's mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed (see here for an easy way to roast chicken)
8 ounces cooked spaghetti
2 teaspoons paprika
extra parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour, stirring constantly. (Or sub cream soup.)

When mixture thickens, add chicken broth, half and half, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, wine, garlic, lemon juice, dry mustard and salt and pepper.

Stir over medium heat until mixture again starts to thicken.

Add chicken and spaghetti noodles and stir well.

Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with paprika and extra Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

When we went to Destin with my parents in August, I got some great shrimp from a local seafood market called, well, Shrimper's. It's actually in Santa Rosa Beach and has awesome key lime pie in addition to fresh seafood. Even though two people present are kind of lukewarm on shrimp and grits separately, this Southern Living dish was a great hit with everyone except Ben (unsurprisingly).

I doubled the recipe, and it made way too much. The recipe as written will serve 6 adults nicely.

I substituted a red bell pepper for the original green - with the green onion, this would be great for a Christmas brunch. I also added the shrimp to the casserole raw; I think cooking them before baking would make them rubbery. The recipe below contains my changes.

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup regular or quick cooking grits (not instant)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (4 ounces)
1 cup shredded monterey jack pepper cheese (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb fresh small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1.Bring 4 cups chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in grits.
2.Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes (follow package instructions - quick grits will take less time).
3.Stir together grits, 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese.
4.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add green onions, bell pepper, and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
5.Stir together green onion mixture, grits mixture, raw shrimp, and next 3 ingredients.
6.Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish.
7.Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.
8.Bake at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes.