Cassoulet
For no obvious reason I have got into the habit of making an annual cassoulet between Christmas and New Year. It takes a bit of time and some diligent shopping, so it fits into the slot when I have some time off work. Cassoulet suits cold weather, although the south-west of France isn’t exactly Bismarck, North Dakota. I would like to say that this annual ritual is greeted with enthusiasm by my family, but it is usually met with “Oh God! Cassoulet again!” I have got progressively more adventurous and maybe I am starting to try everyone’s patience.
For several years I used Julia Child’s recipe, which is innocuous enough, and produces a good result, but doesn’t use duck confit. Last year I tried a recipe from Paula Wolfert’s The Cooking of South-West France, which has an excellent chapter devoted to cassoulet. Her Cassoulet in the Style of Toulouse uses andouillettes, which impart a very gamey accent to an already rich dish. The result was too much for some, and those that did eat it did so slowly and thoughtfully, firmly refusing second helpings .
This year I will go for something less cutting-edge. I still favor duck confit, although Paula Wolfert quotes Michel Guérard describing this as “a sophistication of dubious value”. Duck confit is getting much easier to obtain and is now behind the butcher’s counter in our local supermarket. I plan to use Anthony Bourdain’s recipe, which is authentic without being over-elaborate. He doesn’t resort to bread crumbs for the crust and he specifies the correct Tarbais beans. His version calls for making your own confit. I have never done this, mostly because it is now easy to buy it and I never seem to have enough duck fat – you need about two cups.
Julia Child makes her own sausages to replace Saucisse de Toulouse. I got these and the Tarbais beans from Joie de Vivre, who also distribute cassoulet produced by a Canadian company.
This is next week’s project. I will post photos and the consumer reviews. Photographing cassoulet may be a challenge - the picture of the front of Joie de Vivre's latest catalog features a dish of cassoulet in an unappetizing series of browns.
For several years I used Julia Child’s recipe, which is innocuous enough, and produces a good result, but doesn’t use duck confit. Last year I tried a recipe from Paula Wolfert’s The Cooking of South-West France, which has an excellent chapter devoted to cassoulet. Her Cassoulet in the Style of Toulouse uses andouillettes, which impart a very gamey accent to an already rich dish. The result was too much for some, and those that did eat it did so slowly and thoughtfully, firmly refusing second helpings .
This year I will go for something less cutting-edge. I still favor duck confit, although Paula Wolfert quotes Michel Guérard describing this as “a sophistication of dubious value”. Duck confit is getting much easier to obtain and is now behind the butcher’s counter in our local supermarket. I plan to use Anthony Bourdain’s recipe, which is authentic without being over-elaborate. He doesn’t resort to bread crumbs for the crust and he specifies the correct Tarbais beans. His version calls for making your own confit. I have never done this, mostly because it is now easy to buy it and I never seem to have enough duck fat – you need about two cups.
Julia Child makes her own sausages to replace Saucisse de Toulouse. I got these and the Tarbais beans from Joie de Vivre, who also distribute cassoulet produced by a Canadian company.
This is next week’s project. I will post photos and the consumer reviews. Photographing cassoulet may be a challenge - the picture of the front of Joie de Vivre's latest catalog features a dish of cassoulet in an unappetizing series of browns.
posted by William @ 11:02 AM
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