Basic Cassoulet

Preheat oven to 350°F

Wash the celery. Remove the stem and tip. Split the stalks in halves or thirds lengthwise, then bundle them up and slice perpendicularly to a small dice.

Peel carrots. Remove the stem and tip. Split the stalks in halves or quarters lengthwise, then bundle them up and slice perpendicularly to a small dice.

Remove the stem tip and slice in half through the stem to root axis. Slice from the top, perpendicular to the sliced stem face without cutting through the root end. Slice again from the top perpendicular to the previous slice to dice.

Peel garlic cloves and chop or grate to a fine paste.

Split the sausage casing and remove the filling. Discard the casing.

Lay out the bacon and slice it into little chunks.

Heat a heavy, oven-safe skillet on high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. They should sizzle when the skin hits the pan. Dont disturb the chicken as you cook the skin to a golden brown. When the skin is crispy, it should release from the pan more easily. At this point, flip the thighs and cook the opposite side for a few minutes, then transfer the chicken to a clean platter. the chicken doesn't need to be cooked to completion, as we will continue cooking in the oven.

Add the bacon chunks to the skillet. Give them a few minutes to crisp up, stirring frequently.

Add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage begins to brown.

Add the diced onion.

Add the diced celery.

Add the diced carrot. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent.

Add the crushed garlic. Stir to distribute and toast for about 30 seconds.

Add the bouillon.

Add the water and stir to mix in the bouillon. Allow the broth to come to a simmer.

Stir in the gelatin.

Add the beans.

Add the bay leaves. Push them down into the beans but try not to break them apart at all because you're going to need to fish the whole leaves out later.

Arrange the chicken thighs, skin-side up, on the surface of the simmering beans.

Place the whole skillet in the oven. Bake for about 90 minutes, or until the beans are dried out and a crust has begun to form on the surface. Try to pull out those bay leaves if you can find them, then serve.