[phaedrus]

Okay, folks- I'm looking for some input on cassoulete.  It's a favorite of mine and something that's great when the weather gets cold like it is now.  I want to do cassoulete for a feature menu but I can't decide the best way to do it.  My hope is to get 90% of the way to a proper cassoulete; if I have to half ass it I will do something else.

Right now my best idea is to dice some sausage (chorizo is what I prefer if I can find a nice dry Spanish variety) and cook it with the beans til it's 90% of the way there, then spread it out on sheet pans.  I would heat it in a saute pan with another link, bowl it, top it with crumbs and finish it in the oven.  Then I'd top it with either a duck leg quarter done confit or a seared duck breast, and serve it with another bowl as a charger.

But I know that won't get the full crust that melds into the beans that is a hallmark of a proper cassoulete.

Making it and holding it is not a viable option for our business.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[phaedrus]

BTW, obviously it will have pork belly!  I'm just looking at a technique, not really a recipe.

 

[Guest]

have you considered doing a shallow wide bread bowl? 

heat the casserole and then pour into bowl and then bake just before plating to warm the bread and toast up the lid? 

or 

par bake crust top that can be held at room temp and bake to golden at serve

 

[phaedrus]

Both are interesting ideas!  I was kind of looking for a good way to do a traditional cassoulet but those are cool notions.