Cassoulet De Poissons

Submitted by kerrychatten

A seafood twist on classic French cassoulet: golden-seared trout, monkfish, and scallops layered with slow-simmered white beans and tomatoes, finished under a crispy breadcrumb gratin.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

2 hrs

COOK

15 min

READY

2 hrs

Think cassoulet is only about duck legs and sausage? This stunning fish version flips the script while honoring every bit of that slow-cooked French soul.

Great Northern beans simmer low with a bouquet garni and clove-studded onion until they’re creamy and tender. Meanwhile, thick-cut trout, meaty monkfish, and plump sea scallops get a hard sear until golden.

Everything comes together in a gratin dish: a bed of beans tossed with a garlicky tomato sofrito, the seared seafood nestled on top, then more beans, a shower of breadcrumbs, and dots of butter before a quick blast in a hot oven.

The result is a dish with real depth. Smoky, briny, earthy, and crowned with a crunch that shatters at the touch of a spoon.

Kitchen Tips

Soak the beans overnight for even cooking. No shortcuts here; canned beans won’t give you the same creamy texture.
Sear the fish in batches over high heat. Crowding the pan steams the fish instead of browning it.
The gratin only needs 10 to 15 minutes in the oven. Watch the breadcrumbs closely; you want golden, not burnt.
Monkfish is sometimes called “poor man’s lobster” for its firm, sweet flesh. It holds up beautifully in this hearty dish.

Ingredients

POUND BEANS, DRIED
white beans (such as Great Northern)

MEDIUM ONION

CLOVE *

BOUQUET GARNI *

SALT *

CARROTS
thinly sliced *

TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL

TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER

MEDIUM ONIONS
fine

CLOVES GARLIC
fine

POUND TOMATOES
peeled, seeded and chopped

BLACK PEPPER
freshly ground, to taste *

TROUT
(about 1 lb each) or 30 oz whiting (6 - 5oz) *

1 ½

POUNDS MONKFISH
fillets *

SEA SEA SCALLOP *

CUP BREAD CRUMBS
dried

Directions

Soak the beans overnight in cold water to cover. Drain and rinse. Transfer to a large saucepan and cover with 4 to 5 inches of resh cold water.

Peel the whole onion and stud with the clove and add to the pan along with the bouquet garni.

Bring to a boil and skim the froth that rises to the surface.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ hours.

Season to taste wth salt.

Add the carrots and continue simmering until the carrots and beans are tender, about 30 minutes.

Drain; discard the bouquet garni and the onion.

While the beans are cooking, heat 3 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add the chopped onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until tender but not colored.

Add garlic and cook one minute.

Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Clean the trout (or whiting) and cut into 1 inch slices. Cut the monkfish fillets into 1 inch thick slices.

Cut the scallops in half cross-wise.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over high heat.

Add the trout (or whiting) slices and sauté until golden brown on both sides; set aside.

Brown the monkfish and sliced scallops in the same way; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Combine the tomato mixture and drained beans in a saucepan Taste and adjust seasonings. Spread one-half of the mixture over the bottom of a 10×15” gratin dish. Arrange the fish and scallops on top and cover with the remaining bean mixture. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake until the bread crumbs are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

* not incl. in nutrient facts

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