All About Cassoulet

[Jaymes]

...quite an education we all received, from yet another generous lover of food!

It sounds as though your evening, while it may have been bereft of bread crumbs, was nonetheless chock full of something far more valuable...

A grand generosity of spirit.

Which you yourself have also displayed - by so kindly, and thoughtfully, and unselfishly recreating in such detail your wonderful and educational experience for us here at eGullet.

There was obviously nothing in it for you.

So, I appreciate your taking the time.

Thank you.

[Adam Balic]

Have just been reading Waverly Root's and Paula Wolfert's comments on "Cassoulet". It would seem to me that Stellabella's friends recipe is just as much a "Cassoulet" as muct that is called "Cassoulet" in the South of France.

I think that chickpeas and chitterling sausage would make a good basis for a cassoulet". What else to add though? Maybe salt pork? Confit of wood pigeon?

Edited March 27, 2003 by Adam Balic (log)

[PCL]

Greetings and Salutations from a "newbie" who has been hovering around eGullet and these forums for some months no. After having spent some time exploring and learning in this very exciting and unique corner of cyberspace, a suitable topic for posting has finally made it into my feeble CPU.

Not sure if some background would be appropriate but I'll try to keep it brief:

I'm an Australian, living & working in London (reverse immigration they call it, but I don't think it applies to ethnic Chinese), with a family history of gluttony (I'm campaigning for the world to understand the positives behind that word), and have undergone stints in various kitchens (Japanese, Italian in Tuscany, French) when I was studying and am now a Facade Designer (yep, I'm superficial).

Anyhow... Cassoulet... I've been enjoying at least once a week for the past month a tasty and easily digested rendition of the grand dish, and am on the verge of attempting one at home. Problem is, my Larousse was lost in transit a couple months ago, and they're not on sale anymore so I've left off replacing my (sentimentally) lost copy. I've trawled around for recipes and even checked out the one posted on eGullet by loufood... but a couple of questions remain:

1. Stock: some recipes I've seen call for chicken stock or white veal. The one I've been eating at a little wine bar seems to have a meaty emulsion as its base liquid but its difficult to tell if its the result of days of simmering with constant additions of sausage, belly pork and confit. loufood's doesn't include stock. I guess it comes down to cleanliness of flavors?

2. Lamb: The one I've been eating does not contain lamb. The meat component of the dish is typically sliced belly pork, confit, sausage and smoked bacon chunks. Forgive my ignorance, but does the classic recipe call for lamb or is exclusive to the Toulouse version? If proceeding with the Navarin, is it okay to omit the brown roux?

With the onset of autumn in London, after a distressingly hot summer (we had a 3 week heatwave where temperatures topped 100 for the first time!), it's time for civilised hearty dining!

[Jinmyo]

Hi.

1. Probably some demi-glace?

2. There are infinite versions of cassoulet. Lamb is a nice addition but not needed.

[Bux]

Wow, you've been eating cassoulet once a week though London's heat wave. I don't think I'd like to be in a room with you if you had a knife and fork and there wasn't a lot of food in the room. Even under those circumstances I'd like to have my back to the door.

Were your post any less interesting or less thorough, I would have suggested that asking for the classic cassoulet recipe would be like trawling for flames, or even blood.

From all I've heard, the recipe varies from locale to locale and I suspect from kitchen to kitchen. I can't even find agreement on whether it must be covered with browned bread crumbs. One of the tastiest cassoulets I've ever had wouldn't meet my basic definition of cassoulet. In the Pays Basque, I ordered what was listed on the menu as Cassoulet Basquaise--red beans and meat. I can't even remember if it had lamb, goose or duck, but I recall some sausage and a magnificent slice of fat boudin noir. The most tasteless cassoulet I've ever had was in Carcassonne at a starred restaurant. I'm sure it was made with water and not stock, and few herbs, if any. The restaurant in the Pays Basque had a star too, by the way.

You'll learn little about what's authentic from the Larousse, or at least not from my version which says that the versions from Toulouse and Caracassonne add mutton which distinguishes them from the cassoulet of Castelnaudry. Then they go on to offer two recipes for Cassoulet de Castelnaudry that include mutton. I've long been a purist and traditionalist, but after that Basque cassoulet, I'm all for invention--by the right cook.

If you do a search you will find well over 200 threads in which cassoulet is mention. A few of those might be interesting to pursue, although it's often hard to tell just from the title. From a thread that is simply entitled Cassoulet comes this gem of a post:

Stellabella, that sounds wonderful.  But you'd better duck now (no pun intended) since, as Ariane Daguin of D'Artagnan quotes her 2-Michelin-starred father,

Cassoulet is not really a recipe, it's a way to argue among neighboring villages of Gascony.

And, need I add, among eGulleteers.

Bon appetit and welcome to eGullet. Let us know more about how your hunt for the best cassoulet goes.

[mikeycook]

Paula Wolfert has some good bits on cassoulet in The Cooking of South-West France, including a search for the best cassoulets in the Southwest. She includes at least two recipes, one for a toulouse variety, and, my personal favorite, a version with fresh fava beans that was given to her by Andre Daguin (no lamb in this variety -- in some areas lamb is really frowned upon). If you want to really make your cassoulet from scratch, the Wolfert book includes recipes for various confits (duck, goose, pork) and Toulouse sausages.

Edited September 2, 2003 by mikeycook (log)

[Suzanne F]

Aaaah. Now I know what to do with the leftover pork rind and still-very-rare pork from the shoulder I cooked yesterday: Dominican cassoulet!

[badthings]

I once substituted pork loin for lamb shoulder. Needless to say, a bad idea. Pork shoulder would have been good though, if you want to skip the lamb. Or you can leave it out entirely.

[Jon Tseng]

Hullo mate

Welcome to the madhouse!

1) Was baking beans in ham stock this very weekend (actually two parts ham, one part posh apple juice). Very nice, but takes bloody hours. I am sure using a good stock adds something; adding a meaty stock can never be a bad thing, unless of course one is preparing desert. I would guess some of the unctious texture of the beans also comes from the fat which renders out of the meats as they cook. Tesco had a decent selection of dried beans (haricots and cannelli, no lingots)

2) Haven't a clue. Got a book here wot says Carcassone has lamb and TOulouse has lamb, sausage and goose/duck which Castelnaudary is mainly pork with occasional goose. Whatever is good is good advice...

Don't quite understand what you meant about navarin and roux - does a navarin (or a cassoulet) use a roux? When I navarin I generally just brown n' boil.

re Larousse the new version is readily available around town, and there is a paperback (I think the article text is the same but less recipes, which doesn't matter as half the recipes in Larousse don't work anyhow!) if you're on a budget. Alternately if you're around Borough Mkt this Sat I can photocopy some pages of this or other books (have a good chapter in James Peterson Glorious French Cooking) and drop em off. PM me.

cheerio

J

[PCL]

Ahh... some clarifications:

1. The roux issue... i think lou's recipe just calls for cooked flour... roux was my own extrapolation/interpretation, 'cos when I navarin, i dust the lamb in flour before browning...

2. The london heatwave and beans: well, it's okay when the place is air conditioned, and I'm somewhat immune to a limited degree when it comes to the side effects of bean consumption...

3. The larousse: when i said 'on sale' I meant discount... I had the paperback version but maybe it was left behind at the last apartment as a doorstop.

And Jon, thanks for the invite to Borough, however, I'm not sure about what I'm doing this weekend... have to attend to my neglected half, the bicycle... but will keep you posted, not sure how to use the PM thing!!

Will update when I attempt the Cassoulet very soon.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I did a search to see if this topic had been covered before and the closest I got was a discussion on Earthenware that drifted towards recommendations of Emile Henry products.

I am looking for an authentic stoneware cassole into which I can make my authentic cassoulet.

Not being able to read French, I am having a hard time even searching French sites for some place where I can mail order one and I have no friends travelling to that area any time soon.

Any brilliant eGulleters out there with a source -- or someone in France want to help me buy one?

Merci!

[jat]

Carolyn, I made a cassolet this year. I bought TARBAIS beans from France, and I

spoke with the Chef at Les Halles in New York for tilps. I have his e-mail, if you

want to talk with him.

I use Le Creuset pot. And it really is worth the cost. I bought it at William Sonoma, I

figured that the shipping wouldn't be worth getting it by mail. We have made osso

bucco in it several times this year and it's unbelievable in this pot.

Hope this helps.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Thanks, Jat.

I have a plethora of pots into which I can make the Cassoulet and that was not the difficulty -- it is just the desire for authenticity.

It is hard to explain, but if you saw my kitchen you would undestand. I have a professional, antique Hamilton Beach soda fountain-style shake maker (the kind that makes three at a time, not just one), an American Duplex Grindmaster coffee grinder (like the ones you find in gourmet grocery stores -- except that mine is really old), etc...

Yeah, there are more modern, acceptable utensils and gadgets that will do the job, but somehow the oysters taste better on an oyster plate, the pates taste better in an antique terrine, and I think my Cassoulet would taste better out of an authentic cassole (but I'm a hopeless romantic . )

[scamhi]

This site has I think what you are looking for. I've used them before...free shipping.

Cutlery and more...Emile Henry

[Schneier]

Insert obligatory "buy it on eBay" suggestion here.

Bruce

[Carolyn Tillie]

Insert obligatory "buy it on eBay" suggestion here.

Bruce

Been there -- done that -- they don't (or at least haven't yet) existed on eBay...

[Carolyn Tillie]

This site has I think what you are looking for. I've used them before...free shipping.

Cutlery and more...Emile Henry

Again, thanks but no... Read my first post - I mention the Emile Henry product line which contains things that will work, but not the authentic product.

I have received an incredibly generous offer to borrow one for the holidays, but still hoping to eventually acquire one of my own.

[Bux]

Yeah, there are more modern, acceptable utensils and gadgets that will do the job, but somehow the oysters taste better on an oyster plate, the pates taste better in an antique terrine, and I think my Cassoulet would taste better out of an authentic cassole (but I'm a hopeless romantic . )

It's an affliction, but I'm not sure there's any good to come of being cured of it.

Populaire, familial, le vrai cassoulet (pas l'horreur que l'on vend en boîte !) est confectionné uniquement avec des produits originaires du Lauragais, et cuit dans une poterie locale, la "cassole" qui lui a donné son nom. Pour être tout à fait authentique, cette cassole de terre cuite doit même provenir d'un village du Lauragais nommé Issel.

Alas, the page doesn't give a mail order address for a pottery shop although it offers a recipe, a list of three restaurants and three conserveries. I trust the latter list is not of places that sell it "en boite."

An Issel site offers all sorts of gastronomy and business addresses, but it appears as if there's not a potter in town.

I'm not sure I've heard the term "cassole" before. It seems to come from the Langue d'Oc "cassòla" and obviously gives its name to the dish the way terrine does to a "terrine."

If you're really set on authenticity, I've read that in Castelnaudry, you'd bring your cassole to the bread bakery where it would cook in the baker's oven. That's not an untraditional way of making long cooked dishes in France, hence the name à la boulangère for long braised dishes.

Photographs of cassoles. Click, click, click, click click for detail.

As relief for those of you who have found all those French links intimidating I offer

Southern Style Pork Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a white kidney bean dish which originated as a country dish in the Languedoc region of France. It was originally cooked in an earthenware dish called a cassole d'Issel, and that is how it got its name. The dish spread to many regions of France, and there are many recipes for it. Each region considers their version to be the true masterpiece. The following is my own adaptation of the dish. While it might not meet the approval of the great French chefs, my guests have always enjoyed it, and the fact is, I do not usually entertain French chefs, great or otherwise.

This is from On Southern Cooking.

[badthings]

Anyone make cassoulet with fresh beans?

It seems crazy to use last year's dried beans when fresh are in season, but I'm afraid they may disintegrate under extensive cooking.

I'm considering adapting Paula Wolfert's oft-cited recipe from André Daugin for fava-bean cassoulet (favas of course are not in season now) using fresh cannelini.

Any suggestions?

[Wolfert]

I am sure you will have a wonderful cassoulet with fresh cannellini. My only advise would be to cut way back on the cooking time of the beans. Do let us know how it turned out.

Edited October 2, 2003 by Wolfert (log)

[badthings]

Yes!

I was hoping to elicit a reply from you. I am going to use your Cassoulet de Toulouse recipe. (I just ordered the meat from my butcher, and about halfway through he said,

"you're using Paula Wolfert's recipe, aren't you?"

"yeah."

"dude, it's time-consuming."

"yeah."

"but it kicks ass!").

So everyone loves your recipe -- which certainly doesn't look as time-consuming as Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which is the one I've used before. Plus, no mutton!

D-Day is Tuesday, I'll let you know.

Will serve with Gigondas or Madiran, depending on my mood (and budget).

[Wolfert]

Making cassoulet with cannellini beans should be fine, but if at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

just kidding. let us know..

[badthings]

To judge from Robert's pictures, e.g., the third, the ideal cassole is narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, (to maximize surface area for meat and crust, of course). I am not sure that these aren't earthenware (at least some of them) and not stoneware.

If you can't find the real thing, I would reccomend calling the Spanish Table to see what they have. The traditional Spanish earthenware ollas and cazuelas are very well suited to cooking beans, but they are not wider at the top. They may, however, have something shaped more similarly to these cassoles.

Spanish Table

(206) 682.2827

Their website appears to be down.

(Or, take a giant tagine and turn it upside down!)

[Mottmott]

... I am going to use your Cassoulet de Toulouse recipe. (I just ordered the meat from my butcher, and about halfway through he said,

"you're using Paula Wolfert's recipe, aren't you?"

"yeah."

"dude, it's time-consuming."

This cassoulet will be my next venture into Wolfert's world. Let's see. To do it, I must go through the confit first - this weekend's project. Then I'll make the Toulouse sausage, the sausage confit, and by about Christmas time we'll have a cassoulet. I love a project!

Last weekend we initiated the autumn with the Gascony Daube of Beef. Not a drop left. (I must admit to a shortcut that didn't seem to hurt it. I placed a round of parchment on the surface of the meat, then instead of sealing the casserole with the flour I "sealed" the top with foil before putting on the heavy lid. I also used more wine than the recipe called for because I knew we'd want the extra sauce to mop up with homemade sourdough bread.)

I admit I seldom venture into recipes that take days of shopping, marinating, cooking, etc. for fear of disappointment. But whenever I've done this with something from a Wolfert recipe, the result is spectacular. Paula, thank you for such wonderful food, such wonderfully written recipes.

[Wolfert]

I would imagine a large earthen mixing bowl would work perfectly. I guess I would test it in the oven with some water to see if it can stand the heat.