Maple Mustard Cassoulet

• 4-5 slices of salt pork (skin removed) or 4-5 pieces thick cut bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons maple sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/2 cup high quality maple syrup
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 meaty hambone or ham hock
• 1 pound navy beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 4 chicken thighs bone in/skin-on
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon maple sugar

1. In an oven proof dutch oven (with a lid), lightly brown salt pork or bacon over medium heat. Remove and place in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil to dutch oven and add diced onion bell pepper, carrots, and celery stirring to coat in oil. Cook about 4 minutes or until onions are translucent.
3. Meanwhile, heat stock in stockpot over medium-high heat. Once steam starts to rise from the liquid, add mustard, maple sugar, and maple syrup to the stock, stirring to incorporate. Add bay leaves to the stock and set aside.
4. Add garlic and stir to coat with oil. Cook 1-2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add tomato paste, and stir to coat veggies and cook for 1 minute, scraping paste off the bottom of the pan as you go. Add drained beans, thyme, and salt pork/bacon. Stir again. Add warmed stock. Stir again. Place the meaty ham bone/hock in the center of the dutch oven with the beans and liquid. Cover and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.
5. After 2 hours, give the beans a stir. Increase heat to 300 and bake for 2 more hours, covered.
6. After hour 4, remove beans from oven and crank up the heat to 375. In a bowl, combine whole grain mustard and maple sugar. If it's a little too thick, add a Tbsp. of the cooking liquid from the beans. Set aside.
7. In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs, skin side down, for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Place, skin side up on top of the beans. Spoon/brush mustard-sugar mixture over the chicken thighs. Place back in the oven and cook uncovered for 1 hour.
8. The chicken fat and butter in the cast iron skillet can't go to waste! It's the perfect foundation for skillet cornbread. When there's about 30 minutes left during the last bake, place the skillet in the oven to heat up for about 10 minutes. It's okay if the butter/fat get a little brown. If you're worried about smoke, pour butter/fat into a bowl, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, and heat.
9. Stir together 1 1/2 cup corn meal, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, combine 2 eggs, 1 cup maple yogurt and 1/2 cup milk (if you don't have maple yogurt, use plain yogurt and add 2 Tbsp. maple syrup). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring to incorporate. Remove skillet from oven. If you removed butter/fat from skillet, add it back to the pan, being sure to coat the bottom. Pour batter into hot pan and bake for 20 minutes.

salt pork, olive oil, onion, yellow bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, carrots, celery stalks, chicken, whole grain mustard, maple sugar, maple syrup, bay leaves, thyme, hock, navy beans, chicken thighs, whole grain mustard, maple sugar

Taken from food52.com/recipes/51074-maple-mustard-cassoulet (may not work)