Cassoulet in Languedoc

[TarteTatin]

As you might know from previous posts, we'll be in Sete Dec 26-29th, and Montpellier Dec 30.

Hubby makes an awesome Cassoulet. We'd like to have the real thing, and have researched enough to find out that, basically, there's three (or more), types of Cassoulet and many places in the region, that claim to serve the best.

With that in mind, we are basing just south of Montpellier.

Also with that in mind, you know that our stomachs can only handle one, possibly two at the most, of this wonderful dish.

Where should we go?

We know that the week between Christmas and New Year's is tough, and that lots of places are closed...

[Ptipois]

Cassoulet is an inland dish, so head westwards.

The geographical zone of cassoulet includes Carcassonne, Castelnaudary, Toulouse (considered the capital cities) but actually concerns other towns like Albi, Montauban, Auch, Tarbes, etc. I have no particular place to recommend, suffice it to say that I've had very nice cassoulets in cafés, auberges and hôtel-restaurants without looking very hard. The less showy the place, the better. The overall quality will be good because cassoulet is taken seriously there. Focus on Castelnaudary, Carcassonne, Toulouse and Montauban. I have a soft spot for Castelnaudary. Ask where you can buy a real "cassole" to make the cassoulet and go get it directly from the potter.

[RandyB]

When you do get tired of cassoulet, and if you are a bit to the west near the Tarn, there is a wonderful, little hotel on the crest of hill in the middle of nowhere that also has a great restaurant. It's called the auberge de Cabaretou.

http://www.lecabaretou.com/

My wife and I found it several years ago when we were tired, hungry, and pretty much lost. We needed a place for a night, but once we saw our room and the multiple varieties of mushroom dishes in the restaurant (it was late October), we stayed for three nights. During the day we watched furtive French families with big baskets sneaking into and out of the forests nearby.

This is family run, not fancy nor expensive. It least, it wasn't back then. Nor did they have a website then.

[Dave Hatfield]

I agree with Ptipois. Her geography is spot on & her advice about finding the more modest places is very sound.

Asking the locals is a great opition, but ask them one at a time. Fist fights have been known to break out as a result of asking a group where to get the best cassoulete.

I had cassoulete twice this week. Once in a small local restaurant (11 Euro four course meal with wine & coffee.) Modest resaurant, modest cassoulete; nice ham laced beans with a piece of confit & Toulouse sausage on each plate. Today I had cassoulete at the restaurant in the exhibition hall where we went to the Wine & food festival in Toulouse. Not an ideal location, but the cassoulete wasn't bad. (14 Euros) Lots of confit & two kinds of sausage.

Neither are at the apex of cassouletedom. I seriously doubt that you'll get a bad cassoulete anywhere in the towns Ptipois mentioned.

You could come to my house, but I guess I don't qualify as authentc.

Yankoulete?

[Ptipois]

Come to think of it, I remember a very nice cassoulet I had long ago in Castelnaudary.

The restaurant was in a hotel, on the main square. L'hôtel de la Poste et de Notre-Dame or something like that.

Who knows, might still be there. That kind of place usually stays where it is.

The sausages were home-made especially for this cassoulet, and they were very tender from lengthy cooking and melting and all speckled black from plenty of black pepper.

More recently, I was visiting Carcassonne with friends in August, and though they decided to dine in La Cité (which I wouldn't have chosen to do), we did very well. I don't remember the name of the restaurant but it looked like the perfect place to avoid — the sign outside being an iron coat of arms painted with gothic letters, and the inside being complete with Robin-Hood-movie-style dark red curtains and exposed beams. However the cassoulet was delicious, well reduced and refined, with a delicate sauce. It even had some partridge confit, as there should be in Carcassonne cassoulet. See, you never know.

[Ptipois]

Asking the locals is a great opition, but ask them one at a time. Fist fights have been known to break out as a result of asking a group where to get the best cassoulete.

This too is spot on. Very sound advice.

[John Talbott]

In case members' mouths begin to water reading this, I'd refer them to a thread on making 600 year old cassoulet earlier this year.

[TarteTatin]

Couldn't find the place Ptipois described. Ended up in Brasserie La Donjon.

Described in Languedoc/Rouissillon, "Where to eat" thread...

Mr. Tarte Tatin makes better...!