{"id":3222,"date":"2019-10-11T01:25:48","date_gmt":"2019-10-11T05:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/french-barn.com\/blog\/?p=3222"},"modified":"2019-10-11T10:37:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-11T14:37:11","slug":"wild-mushroom-cassoulet-with-crispy-sage-vegan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/french-barn.com\/blog\/food-wine\/wild-mushroom-cassoulet-with-crispy-sage-vegan","title":{"rendered":"Wild Mushroom Cassoulet with Crispy Sage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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With the arrival of autumn come dropping temperatures, falling leaves, and an ever increasing desire to subsist solely on comfort food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The few weeks prior also herald the start of chanterelle season here on the west coast. After the first September rainfall, chanterelle mushrooms start to appear at our local grocer and market. On Vancouver island, both white and golden chanterelles can be found, however, there are many different kinds which can be sourced around certain parts of Canada, the US, and Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chanterelles are a very popular wild edible mushroom and for good reason- they’re absolutely<\/em> delicious when cooked into a risotto or stew, or simply fried with a little garlic. Due to their very specific growing conditions, chanterelles are very difficult to produce commercially, so, if you happen to see them in your local grocer or market, it’s because a professional forager took the time to find them. Of course, don’t forage for chanterelles yourself- leave it to the experts who can properly identify them; there are a few look-alikes that are quite poisonous! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Cassoulet <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassoulet is a well-known comfort dish originating from the southwest of France. There are many regional variations of this classic, however, all are comprised of a base of white beans stewed for hours with several different preparations of either mutton, pork, or duck typically. Depending on the region, it may also have a crispy crumb topping- this is common for Toulouse variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of the latter listing of ingredients, this recipe is made meaty with mushrooms – cremini and chanterelles are cooked into a hearty and robust, ragout, then baked with aromatic cassoulet beans and herbed bread crumbs. This recipe is, essentially, the plant-based answer to traditional cassoulet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like traditional cassoulet, this recipe comes together in several components, however, it only requires one day in advance for soaking beans and has a much shorter cooking time overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keys to making this recipe work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassoulet is best when the beans are cooked from scratch – canned do not offer the same flavour or texture. Unfortunately, dried cannellini\/white kidney beans are not easy to find. As such, if you can’t source them at your local grocer, order them online or opt to use white navy beans or great northern beans. White kidney beans have a wonderful creamy texture once cooked, hence why they are the preferred cassoulet bean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, you want to reduce the ragout until it resembles a stew (see third image above). If you find that the ragout is too thick, add more broth or cooking liquid from the beans. As the cassoulet bakes, the bread crumbs and beans will soak up moisture- you don’t want something too thick, otherwise your cassoulet will be somewhat dry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good quality 3.5 quart braiser pan makes a perfect baking vessel for this recipe, however, any shallow casserole or oven proof dish will work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, if you prefer this recipe to be a tad richer, use butter instead of olive oil. If you have never made a bouquet garni, please visit this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wild Mushroom Cassoulet with Crispy Sage <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chanterelle and cremini mushrooms are cooked into a hearty ragout and baked with aromatic white beans and herbed bread crumbs in this vegan-friendly cassoulet. This recipe requires advanced preparation – soak the beans the night before. A 3.5 quart braiser pan makes a perfect baking vessel for the cassoulet, however, any oven proof casserole dish will work. If you have never made a bouquet garni, please <\/em>visit this post<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time saving tip<\/em><\/strong> – toast the bread crumbs up to a day in advance and keep them in an airtight container. Mix in the parsley prior to using. You can also opt for prepared bread crumbs<\/em> instead of making your own. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prep Time | 12 hours<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook Time | 90 minutes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serves | 6 <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

INGREDIENTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Beans <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n