My cassoulet

Appropriately, I discovered cassoulet, a classic French dish, while in France. My first taste was at a Paris bistro.  Over the years I have tried many cassoulets, both in France and in the United States. We have also made cassoulet at home on numerous occasions. In my last blog, Relaxing on a Sunday, I mentioned making it for dinner and received numerous requests for the recipe. So you now me, instead of just posting the recipe, here is the story of my cassoulet.

Cassoulet has a very long history as rich as the flavors of the food itself. A Google search on “cassoulet history” yielded over 50,000 hits. These opening sentences, from a Time Magazine article, might help you understand how big the myth of cassoulet really is.

“No French dish is as steeped in history, myth and religion as cassoulet. Natives of southwestern France's Languedoc region link their very cultural identity to the archetypical peasant dish, a rich, earthy casserole of beans, meat and herbs. Cassoulet is said to date back to the 14th century siege of Castelnaudary during the Hundred Years' War, when citizens created a communal dish so hearty their revivified soldiers sent the invaders packing.”

Where can you find the true story of cassoulet? How about the Académie Universelle du Cassoulet? Yes, the French have an Academy dedicated to preserving cassoulet and all of its traditions. Check out the link to their web site if you want to read more on the legendary dish.

Unfortunately, the majority of cassoulets I have eaten in the US have not been up to par. They were good, just not authentic. The most authentic  by far was at Bistro Jeanty in the Napa Valley. Fortunately for my taste buds, but unfortunately for my wallet, Bistro Jeanty is only about a 45-minute drive from home.

That brings me to making cassoulet at home. The recipe from the Académie Universelle du Cassoulet takes 2 days to make. Julia Child’s famous recipe fills 5 pages of her book. These are great when you want the real thing and have that kind of time. But really, whose got that kind of time these days?

Enter Jacques Pépin and his 30-Minute Cassoulet. Although not traditional, it is very good. Once again, I am taking the easy way out by not reprinting the recipe and letting you follow the link instead. Plus, there's a video to help you along. Even the most elementary cooks among us can make this recipe taste awesome.

Now it is time to introduce my variation of Jacques Pépin’s recipe. When I first made his cassoulet, Sherry and I both felt that the combination of bratwurst and Italian sausage was just a little too “sausagy” for our taste. We are also wimps when it comes to heat, so we found the hot Italian sausage a little overpowering. So, it’s time to get creative in the spirit of the original dish from 1355 (if you believe the legend).

In thinking of ways to improve the dish to match our personal taste, I remembered back to that first cassoulet I ate in Paris, which consisted of ham, sausage, and duck confit. In fact, this is the most common combination I have seen in restaurants. So, here are my substitutions that reflect our taste .

1. Replace the hot Italian sausage with mild  Italian sausage.
2. Replace the bratwurst with a rotisserie chicken.
3. Replace the ham shoulder with high quality ham steaks, such as Niman Ranch brand.

When it comes to serving, you really can’t eat cassoulet without wine. But which wine? Well, cassoulet was born in the Languedoc region of France so it would be a safe assumption that any wine for there would pair nicely. One such wine is Cahors, which is very good. You could also pair cassoulet with almost any wine from Bordeaux or a California Bordeaux-style blend. If these wines are difficult to find in your area then any good California cabernet sauvignon or merlot will be fine.

Finally, I believe that cassoulet is best served with friends. There is just something about a traditional peasant dish that invites everyone to relax and savor the moment. And really, does it get any better then a classic dish, a good bottle of wine and great friends? Well, maybe 2 bottles of wine and some dessert.

So that’s my version of cassoulet with a little history lesson thrown in for good measure. If you try my recipe, let me know how it turned out. Or better yet, if you live in the area let me know and I will be happy to try it in person. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

Au revoir!