Serves 4-6
110g thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (or lardons)
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork sausages
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans haricot beans
1 small handful fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Baguette, for serving
Cook the bacon in a large casserole dish over medium heat, cook the bacon for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently, until it renders much of its fat but is not yet crisp. Transfer the bacon to a large plate.
Prep the chicken and sausages Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Prick each sausage with the tip of a paring knife in a couple of places. This will prevent them from bursting as they cook.
Cook the chicken and sausages in the same large casserole dish used to cook the bacon, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side-down, and the sausages. You may need to do this in batches if the skillet is not large enough. Cook the meat until golden brown on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to the plate with the bacon one by one as they look ready.
Cook the onions and garlic: Pour off and discard all but a thin layer of fat from the large casserole dish. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions soften.
Add in the tomatoes, beans with their liquid, and thyme sprigs.
Return the bacon, chicken thighs, and sausages to the large casserole dish.
Bring the cassoulet to a simmer over medium heat. Adjust the heat to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the chicken and sausages are cooked through.
Make the breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and parsley. Toast/Fry the breadcrumbs
Evenly sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and place the Dutch oven into the oven to broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the top browns. Watch it carefully—this only takes a minute or two. Remove the cassoulet from the oven and sprinkle in more parsley, if you’d like.
Serve