Chicken and chorizo cassoulet, my homage to a French classic
Having a beautiful French wife has many benefits, not least of all is many holiday in the south of France.
During some of my summer holiday in France we have quite often visited the beautiful, medieval city of Carcasson. This incredible city is a living medieval castle with as much history as beauty. As you walk amongst the cities fortified walls you can almost feel the ghosts of the knights that walked the streets clad in armor.
Just like any typical region in France, this one has its own traditional dish, cassoulet. This ancient dish consist of Toulouse, confit duck and belly pork baked in haricot beans, it is quite simply incredible.
This dish steals inspiration from the traditional cassoulet and is packed full of flavour. I have replaced the Toulouse sausage with big chunks of chorizo and served it with a fresh and tender chicken breast instead if the classic duck leg and flavoured the beans with some fresh bulb fennel. Its quick and easy to produce and tastes incredible, in fact I think it's that good I have this dish on the menu in my restaurant.
This recipe serves 4
4 chicken breasts
200g diced soft cooking chorizo
1 finely diced bulb fennel
1 finely diced white onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of chopped thyme
1 tin barlotti beans
1 tin butter beans
1 tin cannellini beans
400ml passata
1 handfull of baby spinach
Place the chicken in a hot oven to roast for 20-25 min or until cooked to 75c at the thickest point.
Whilst the chicken is cooking pan fry the diced chorizo in a hot pan untill it has a little colour on it, add into the pan the fennel, onion, garlic and thyme. Lower the temperature on the pan and saute until the vegetables are soft.
Drain the beans and place them in the pan with the vegetables and add the passata. Simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
Fold in the spinach and place in the bottom of the bowl with the chicken resting on top.
