A few years back (2008 or so), we were on a trip to Paris (the one in France, not the one that’s very Texan) for a conference and decided to tack on a trip down to Barcelona. Since we were passing through, we stopped for the night in Carcassonne (France) which is a UN World Heritage Convention site and a fortified town atop a hill. Read more about it here. It’s also the origin of the French dish known as cassoulet, a meat and bean stew of which there are a few varieties (cassoulet refers to the clay pot in which it’s traditionally cooked).

Quick word on D’Artagnan – here’s an offer from them (https://share.dartagnan.com/x/2bqFZe) that benefits both of us should you choose to order from them.

So the next year, I made my own at home and it worked out well. I used the D’Artagnan kit (Cassoulet Recipe Kit) which is excellent. I love the dish they use but have my own that does the job just as well. Besides, I make this once, perhaps twice a year at most and it falls into the single use item category.

Rather than bore you with my interpretation and commentary, I’ll point you to several interesting links that will help should you want to consider making it yourself, but I will tell you that if you like this kind of autumn/winter comfort food, this for us has been the epitome of that genre of food.

The following URLs take you to a history of the dish, some suggestions on serving (with a wine recommendation or two), two cassoulet recipe variations (reflecting regional differences) and even a left-overs suggested recipe. I warn you however that there may not be that much in the way of leftovers 🙂

Brief cassoulet history

Cassoulet Dinner Party Ideas

Cassoulet Recipe Kit

Duck Cassoulet

Cassoulet de Toulouse

Cold Cassoulet Terrine

I’d add that some of the ingredients may seem a little obscure but, for example, here in Texas, the up-market Central Market often sells some of the meats (duck confit, duck demi-glace, duck fat) and you can always substitute these for locally sourced alternatives. Rancho Gordo also sells the same beans at 1/3 the price of those from D’Artagnan. I’d add that the shipping for the kit is eye-wateringly expensive ($40) because it’s Fedex overnight and for me, on a $100 item, that’s unreasonable (so if that’s all you need, source it locally with alternatives). However I’ve added a number of other fresh food items to my order and that shipping charge remains unchanged so the more you buy, the better that becomes.

Finally, if you made it or want to and have questions, leave me a comment.