Smoked Sausage Cassoulet

By mstewarthome

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 servings
• 2 TBS plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 onions
• 10 garlic cloves—chopped
• 3 lbs assorted fully cooked spicy smoked sausages (such as kielbasa and andouille), sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 1 c. white wine
• 4 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained
• 3 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes with roasted garlic in juice
• 3 c. (or more) chicken broth
• 2 smoked ham hocks (about 1 lb)
• 2 TBS herbes de Provence
• 1 TBS chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 4 c. fresh breadcrumbs made from crust less French bread
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Step 1

PREHEAT oven to 350. Heat 2 TBS oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add onions—sauté 10 min. Add garlic—sauté until very soft, about 20 more min.
MEANWHILE, sauté sausage in batches in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown, about 10 min per batch. Transfer to bowl. Add wine to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any brown bits.
ADD wine mixture from skillet o sausage to pot with onions; then add beans, tomatoes with juice, 3 c. broth, ham hocks, herbes de Provence, rosemary, and cloves. Sprinkle generously with pepper. Bring cassoulet to boil. Cover pot and transfer to preheated oven; bake 1 hour. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Uncover and cool 1 hour. If desired, cut meat from ham hocks and return to. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Before continuing, rewarm in covered pot in 350 degree oven 40 minutes, adding more broth if dry.)
HEAT ¼ c. oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and minced garlic; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix in parsley. Season topping with salt and pepper.
SPOON cassoulet into bowls. Sprinkle with topping and serve.