Cook-off 1: Cassoulet

[fou de Bassan]

Chrisamirault, I ued the recipe from MAstering the Art of french Cooking. Basically lots of pork in different forms, mutton, garlic and a tiny bit of leftover duck confit. And beans, lots of beans! The crust btw was delicious! I am anxious to see more of your photos.

[little ms foodie]

It looks fantastic! What kind of sausage did you use? And other ingredients? Do tell!

I must say I love those plates!

The sausage was a nice pork sausage from a local butcher, not Italian as we talked about the dish and both felt that the seasonings would get in the way. It's just a nice brat.

Duck confit was made with Muscovoys as that is what was available to me. I will search out the other kinds for my next try.

Pork belly and pork rind were used. The beans were Great Northerns. I followed Bourdin's recipe.

And although it looks like it is in dishes, these are actually wide low bowls (pasta bowls) perfect for stews and the like!

[bleudauvergne]

My husband had never had cassoulet......he is a convert. I got many kisses and "this is sooooo good" at dinner tonight.

Didn't have a damn French wine in the cellar so we had a 10 year old Cristom Pinot Noir, excellent.

The only thing was my duck confit was a bit salty. Will read thru the duck confit thread and make some notes. The Les Halles book has received its christening grease stains.

And the best part......we have leftover too! Lunch tomorrow 

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It looks fantastic! What kind of sausage did you use? And other ingredients? Do tell!

I must say I love those plates!

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Wendy, it really looks just wonderful.

[little ms foodie]

I just got home and had a small bit of cassoulet- 1 sausage and some beans and some pork belly. How is it possible that #1- something that looks like such a mess tastes soooo good? and #2- it is actually even better today, day 3. My cat has also decided it is her new favorite dish ( a few days ago she thought foie was, haha!)

Wendy

[LaurieA-B]

I enjoyed cassoulet at an egulleter's home on New Year's Day, and so did my one-year-old daughter. Turns out cassoulet is ideal baby food. Tender, flavorful meats and soft beans. She's eaten beans and duck separately often during the last few months, and could hardly get enough of the cassoulet. So, if you have small children, cassoulet is the way to go. And while the baby wouldn't be ready to eat it yet, I think cassoulet or just duck confit would be an excellent food gift to new parents.

[andiesenji]

Actually there are so many versions of cassoulet, I see no reason why you couldn't do one that is pork free.

See the one here.

And in the article about the cassoulet "war" there is a mention that "only" duck and goose is used.

as noted here.

On another thread regarding cassoulet I mentioned a couple of friends, both French, both passionate about cassoulet and always arguing about which makes the more "authenctic" version.

She is from Dauphin and makes duck sausage, heavy on the garlic and spices and uses no pork at all. She uses both duck and goose but the only beans she will use are flagolet, which I happen to grow for use both green and dried. They seem to do particularly well here in the desert and I routinely have a heavy crop.

I have to confess that I too have made a cassoulet that is nowhere near what is usually considered authentic because I used a combination of duck and pheasant since I had several phesant legs to use up, having prepared the breasts for the hunter that shot them.

(It was very good.)

Edited January 3, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Chris Amirault]

So, yesterday, after an additional four hours in the oven (and several ceremonial breakings of the crust), I served the following:

It was a howling success. The beans were velvety and creamy, suffused with the flavors of the meats. Meanwhile, the meats had all been braised to the point of a miraculous tenderness, particularly the sausage, which crumbled deliciously in my mouth.

Some notes:

-- It seems to be a truly multi-generational dish. As LaurieA-B said, it's perfect baby food: our 18 month old friend, Chloe, loved every bite. But even my seven year old, Lulu, kept going back for more. (The adults swooned -- mais oui!)

-- If I would make one particular change chosen among many (including getting the right cuts of pork, confiting the duck more effectively, and confiting the right kind of duck), I would add more liquid, particularly toward the end of the first baking and then throughout the second. It wasn't really dry, but it was just this side of less-than-moist; I was so afraid of making soupy baked beans (born and raised in suburban Boston, I know what those are like) that I think I erred a tad.

-- Whither bread crumbs? I cannot imagine why you'd want or need them. Does anyone have a recipe with bread crumbs?

-- Bourdain is right about fat: it undergoes an amazing transformation in this dish, as do the beans because of it. A bite with a bit of confit, a wee pile of beans, and a small clot of pork fat back (no longer distinguishable as such) was absolutely heavenly.

Leftovers remain, of course! Tonight we larbed to regain some semblance of gastronomical balance, but I think cassoulet is on tap for the morrow.

[little ms foodie]

Chris, you and I are just cassoulet and larbing are way to a great year hu?

I also will add more liquid, I thought some parts of the top of mine was a tad dry.

I had one last lunch of it today...and was thinking about the fat thing too....lord how this stuff melts and turns things heavenly!

Your picture is awesome!!!

[Chris Amirault]

Had the leftover cassoulet last night for dinner. It was really, really wonderful. I had to add a bit of water into the pot and cover it while it reheated in the oven.

Anyone else getting a cassoulet cracking?

[Wolfert]

Sounds like you had a wonderful cassoulet. I'm so jealous sitting here sniffling with a cold and wishing I had the energy to prepare one.

-- Whither bread crumbs? I cannot imagine why you'd want or need them. Does anyone have a recipe with bread crumbs?

In Toulouse, it is the only way to top a cassoulet. It is, and was, absolutely necessary to the making of the dish to create a crust. Years ago, it was traditional to send the filled cassole to the local bread oven for baking. YOu can imagine that in the center of town it would have been rare for locals to have their own bread oven. Thus you couldn't possibly break the skin up to 7 times. On the other hand, in the mountainous regions around Carcassone, everyone had their own baker's oven and they could push the cassole around and get at it in order to break up the crust.

Both methods make great cassoulets. For example, yours looked wonderful.

FYI:when and if you ever use an earthenware cassole and the hearthkit oven now available at sur la table, (This clay inset replaces the steamy bakers oven ) you could try either method with great success.

Edited January 6, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Sounds like you had a wonderful cassoulet. I'm so jealous sitting here sniffling with a cold and wishing I had the energy to prepare one.

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I'm sorry! If it was better, I'd send the last frozen chunk to you Fed Ex! I'm afraid it might not pass muster, however.... Perhaps a more confident eGullet chef can zip some our sick friend's way!

-- Whither bread crumbs? I cannot imagine why you'd want or need them. Does anyone have a recipe with bread crumbs?

In Toulouse that is the only way to top a cassoulet. It is and was absolutely necessary to the making of cassoulet. Years ago, it was traditional to send the filled cassole to the local bread oven for baking. You couldn't possibly break the skin up to 7 times.

While in mountainous regions around Carcassone you had your own baker's oven and you could afford to push the cassole around and get at it in order to break up the crust.

They are both good.

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So the idea is to embed the crunchy texture of the toasted crumbs or crusty top into the beans for toothiness? Makes sense to me -- I hadn't thought of texture. The crust has such astonishing flavor (see my photo above; it got very brown on the edges, just amazing) that I had focused on that.

[Wolfert]

Sounds like you had a wonderful cassoulet. I'm so jealous sitting here sniffling with a cold and wishing I had the energy to prepare one.

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I'm sorry! If it was better, I'd send the last frozen chunk to you Fed Ex! I'm afraid it might not pass muster, however.... Perhaps a more confident eGullet chef can zip some our sick friend's way!

-- Whither bread crumbs? I cannot imagine why you'd want or need them. Does anyone have a recipe with bread crumbs?

In Toulouse that is the only way to top a cassoulet. It is and was absolutely necessary to the making of cassoulet. Years ago, it was traditional to send the filled cassole to the local bread oven for baking. You couldn't possibly break the skin up to 7 times.

While in mountainous regions around Carcassone you had your own baker's oven and you could afford to push the cassole around and get at it in order to break up the crust.

They are both good.

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So the idea is to embed the crunchy texture of the toasted crumbs or crusty top into the beans for toothiness? Makes sense to me -- I hadn't thought of texture. The crust has such astonishing flavor (see my photo above; it got very brown on the edges, just amazing) that I had focused on that.

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no, not quite. I was unclear. It is either you make a crust with breadcrumbs and don't touch it at all, or you nurse the top by breaking up the crust each time it forms up to seven enriching the liquid below. Both are good, but different. Check on my edited note above on using the hearthkit. You can then see the difference

ANd thanks for the offer of fedexing some this way. I'll take a raincheck. It sounds too good an offer not to miss.

Edited January 6, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[Chris Amirault]

So the idea is to embed the crunchy texture of the toasted crumbs or crusty top into the beans for toothiness? Makes sense to me -- I hadn't thought of texture. The crust has such astonishing flavor (see my photo above; it got very brown on the edges, just amazing) that I had focused on that.

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no, not quite. I was unclear. It is either you make a crust with breadcrumbs and don't touch it at all, or you nurse the top by breaking up the crust each time it forms up to seven enriching the liquid below. Both are good, but different. Check on my edited note above on using the hearthkit. You can then see the differe[nce.]

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Ah, yes, I see now. Thanks!

[Busboy]

Sounds like you had a wonderful cassoulet. I'm so jealous sitting here sniffling with a cold and wishing I had the energy to prepare one.

-- Whither bread crumbs? I cannot imagine why you'd want or need them. Does anyone have a recipe with bread crumbs?

In Toulouse, it is the only way to top a cassoulet. It is, and was, absolutely necessary to the making of the dish to create a crust. Years ago, it was traditional to send the filled cassole to the local bread oven for baking. YOu can imagine that in the center of town it would have been rare for locals to have their own bread oven. Thus you couldn't possibly break the skin up to 7 times. On the other hand, in the mountainous regions around Carcassone, everyone had their own baker's oven and they could push the cassole around and get at it in order to break up the crust.

Both methods make great cassoulets. For example, yours looked wonderful.

FYI:when and if you ever use an earthenware cassole and the hearthkit oven now available at sur la table, (This clay inset replaces the steamy bakers oven ) you could try either method with great success.

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Speaking of Toulouse, do you have an opinion on what constitutes a "saucisse de Toulouse" besides stuffing the casing without twisting off links and coiling it like a rope for display and, one assumes, cooking? Nothing I've been able to find on line has been more specific than pork, wine (some), and spices, and the coiling thing. The French recipes I've found don't even call for spicing the pork. Any insight or educated guess you had would be gratefull received.

Edited January 6, 2005 by Busboy (log)

[Eden]

Is it possible that the dryness a few of you are experiencing is one of the reasons why some recipes add lamb ragout to the cassoulet - to make it moister? Or is it just the Bourdain recipe? I've used two completely different types of beans in my cassoulet with no noticable change in moisture so I don't think the bean type would be the issue.

I'm so looking forward to making this year's cassoulet after reading this & the duck confit thread! It's good to have a place to share with other people who enjoy boiling duck in fat my friends who rate high enough to get fed cassoulet all love to eat the end product, but really they don't want to hear the details. (cowards!) Hopefully we'll have a digital camera again by then & I can take photos!

Eden

[Wolfert]

I have a recipe in the cooking of southwest france for making toulouse sausages. The recipe is from a spicemaker in the Toulouse main market. I forget his name but it was something like bourdonc . Don't buy the book, I'll post the ingredients here. I figure you know how to make sausage.

The recipe makes about 1 1/4 pounds

4 ounces ventreche without rind (like pancetta)

12 ounces pork tenderloin,trimmed of fat

4 ounces pork fat back

l teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon cracked peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon mace or nutmeg

3/4 teaspon sugar

l large minced clove garlic

hog or sheep casing

THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU CAN BUY TOULOUSE SAUSAGES MADE BY SOME FRENCH CHARCUTIERS WORKING IN CALIFORNIA. www.fabriquesdelices.com or via frenchselections.com

[Wolfert]

Lamb ragouts are added to cassoulets where sheep farming is prevalent: the landes and Castelnaudary.

The dryness is due, I think, to the cast iron enameled pot. The same could be said if it is too moist. I would love one of the science people out there to explain why.

The cassole, a flared earthenware pot, glazed on the inside and sometimes on the outside is the pot to use.

Edited January 6, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[Busboy]

I have a recipe in the cooking of southwest france for making toulouse sausages. The recipe is from a spicemaker in the Toulouse main market. I forget his name but it was something like bourdonc . Don't buy the book, I'll post the ingredients here. I figure you know how to make sausage.

The recipe makes about 1 1/4 pounds

4 ounces ventreche without rind (like pancetta)

12 ounces pork tenderloin,trimmed of fat

4 ounces pork fat back

l teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon cracked peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon mace or nutmeg

3/4 teaspon sugar

l large minced clove garlic

hog or sheep casing

THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU CAN  BUY TOULOUSE SAUSAGES MADE BY SOME FRENCH CHARCUTIERS WORKING IN CALIFORNIA. www.fabriquesdelices.com or via frenchselections.com

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Thank you very much, Paula. This looks great, and different enough from what's generally available from the butcher to be worth spending some quality time with.

[Cusina]

This was wonderful vicarious living... thanks for the great stories and pictures.

Chris, congratulations on your eGoddess status. It's a special honor if you are the first ever male in the category.

I'd love to see more recipes tried in parallel this way. Will this be a regular thing?

[Chris Amirault]

This was wonderful vicarious living...  thanks for the great stories and pictures.

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I agree -- it has become just what I hoped when I first posted the topic, thanks to all these great eGullet folks!

Chris, congratulations on your eGoddess status.  It's a special honor if you are the first ever male in the category.

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Yes, well, thanks, I guess! I'm not quite sure what benefits this new status provides me. I should say that I did get several odd looks today at my preschool while wearing my new, navel-baring "I'm an eGoddess" t-shirt....

I'd love to see more recipes tried in parallel this way.  Will this be a regular thing?

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That's my hope, precisely. I think that starting another one as a new topic, a la the Wine of the Week (WOW) threads, might make the most sense.

Not sure of the next dish, though. Maybe we can all think of a few possibilities and try to find a critical mass around one thing. I'd like to move around cuisines pretty widely, and certainly away from French cooking for a bit. The fun for me would be to keep doing more involved things that you rarely if ever make at home but enjoy when eating out (if you're lucky to be able to get it). It seems like the fun, risky, and rewarding work needed to make cassoulet got us talking, photo snapping, and sharing ideas -- doing what the eGullet community does best, in my opinion.

So, for instance, I was thinking that other options could include pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), or a loaf of bread made with a new sourdough starter, or char siu bao (steamed BBQ pork buns), or....

...or what??

[fou de Bassan]

Chris,

next time try cassoulet with the breadcrumbs. I used some stale brioche ground up in the food processor. 2 cups breadcrumbs with 1\2 cup chopped parsley. I broke up the crust every 20 min. It was truly wonderful. I;m wondering about the dryness? Did you save the bean cooking liquid? I ended up adding some during the cooking to prevent the cassoulet from drying out. I'm game for another mass cook-in.

[edsel]

I've been traveling too much to fully participate in this cook-along, but I did have the opportunity to make a half-assed attempt at cassoulet.

I've got the Les Halles book and was able to approximate Bourdain's cassoulet, with some major shortcuts. I didn't have any pork fat back, but did have some jowl bacon in the freezer. I sliced off the rind and used it to line the bottom of the casserole. I simmered the rest to reduce the saltiness. Some slow-cooked duck leg (see Culinary Bear's confit thread) was the best I could do to substitute for the duck confit. All I had in the way of sausage was some dried Spanish choriso. Hey, I said I was traveling! I was only home for one day last weekend (last Saturday), so I cooked the beans (I had Great Northern in the house) and assembled the mock cassoulet. I did the first baking and stuck it in the fridge.

Today I pulled the casserole out of the fridge, topped it with bread crumbs, and finished baking it. The fat on the surface turned orange from the spices in the choriso (like I said, this is a half-assed cassoulet), but the results were quite palatable. Far from authentic by any measure but tasty none the less.

For the next cook-off I heartily endorse the bœuf bourguignon recipes from Les Halles and Bouchon. They make a great contrast in approaches, and the former is freely available on Bourdain's web site.

[TheFoodTutor]

Hey, great looking cassoulet and I'm loving this discussion. I'd love to take part in some of this, and I've been looking over my Les Halles to see which recipes strike me as being most worth trying out. Quenelles de Brochet looks really appealing to me.

Anyhoo, I was wondering if you folks figured out what the specific advantage is to using Tarbais beans in the cassoulet? Do they have a special flavor or texture that makes them better than great northerns or flageolet or any other white beans? I was wondering if it's worth going to the trouble, although it's obviously worth it to make one's own duck confit, and possibly even sausage.

Thanks.

[Eden]

Anyhoo, I was wondering if you folks figured out what the specific advantage is to using Tarbais beans in the cassoulet? Do they have a special flavor or texture that makes them better than great northerns or flageolet or any other white beans?

I don't know from Tarbais beans, but I use Haricots de Soisson instead of great white northern & they are significantly different in size texture etc. so I would definately try both & compare.

In fact my cassoulet making starts next week & I'm thinking of making a small separate pot with the Tarbais if I can get them easily just out of curiosity...

Eden - must call the butcher & pre-order my duck bits!

[edsel]

Anyhoo, I was wondering if you folks figured out what the specific advantage is to using Tarbais beans in the cassoulet? Do they have a special flavor or texture that makes them better than great northerns or flageolet or any other white beans? I was wondering if it's worth going to the trouble, although it's obviously worth it to make one's own duck confit, and possibly even sausage.

Thanks.

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After hearing bourdain rave about Tarbais beans I decided to order some from Dartagnan. (I was ordering Moulard duck legs from them anyways, so the beans didn't add much to the order). Next batch of cassoulet I'll try 'em out.