Seafood Cassoulet With Sablefish and Spot Prawns
November 5th, 2025A Cozy French Cassoulet, Featuring Alaskan Seafood
This seafood cassoulet combines the soul of French cuisine with local Alaska ingredients and a hint of spicy warmth, making it a one-of-a-kind rustic comfort food.
As the autumn air turns crisp and leaves swirl across the yard, I gather the last bounty of the season from my local farms. On a recent trip, I found late-season tomatoes, carrots, beets, shallots, garlic and even a bundle of cilantro. Inspired by these ingredients, I envisioned a cozy ocean twist on a French classic — cassoulet — a traditionally rustic slow-cooked bean stew.
As in a traditional cassoulet, the longer the stew sits, the more the flavors develop — the white beans will have absorbed the rich broth and spices, becoming delightfully plush and full of deep flavor. In fact, leftovers the next day can taste even better after the ingredients mingle overnight.
About the chef: Chef Mandy Dixon is a James Beard nominee and chef/owner of Tutka Bay Lodge in Kachemak Bay. She is a lifelong Alaskan whose cuisine celebrates the vibrant possibility of harvests from the land and sea.
Seafood Cassoulet With Sablefish and Spot Prawns
By Wild Alaskan Company
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total time
70 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 (6 oz.) portions sablefish, cut into large chunks
- 1 (8 oz.) pack spot prawns, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 links reindeer sausage (or other smoked link sausage), sliced into coins
- 5 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 small red bell peppers, diced
- 2 small beets, peeled and medium diced
- 1 large shallot, thickly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups stock (beef, vegetable, or fish stock)
- 1 small loaf sourdough bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium heat. When the butter is hot and bubbling, add the sliced sausage and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, bell peppers, beets, and shallot to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot turns translucent and vegetables begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in thyme, rosemary, parsley, smoked paprika, and chili flakes and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Pour in white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for a minute, then stir in tomatoes with their juices, as well as the drained white beans. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then stir everything together and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until tomatoes start to break down.
5. Gently nestle sablefish and spot prawns into the pot, then pour in the stock. The liquid should just barely cover the ingredients. If it looks too dry, add a bit more stock. Bring the pot back to a simmer, then cover with a lid. Let the cassoulet simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until fish starts to become flaky.
6. Remove lid and taste to adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Scatter diced sourdough bread and parmesan evenly over the top of the cassoulet, then transfer uncovered dish to oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes until bread topping becomes crisp.
7. Carefully remove pot from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken. If using, garnish with fresh cilantro just before serving. To serve, scoop into bowls, ensuring each portion gets some of the buttery sablefish, shrimp, plenty of beans and veggies, and pieces of the crispy bread crust.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.
