Cassoulet

[LEFSElover]

do you have a recipe for a really good cassoulet?
I watched the last food network star and enjoyed the cassoulet dish that a lady made. I'd like to know if one is worth putting the effort into.

any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Andy M.]

Lefselover, I just googled, cassoulet recipe Jacques Pepin and got several reasonabley quick versions from his TV shows and other sources. I also have a more time consuming version of his recipe that I can PM or email to you if you like.

You don't have to go with a Jacques Pepin recipe, of course, but I like his stuff so I mentioned that first.

 

[LEFSElover]

if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please PM it to me.
if it's too much work or typing, let me know.
I just found this and liked it's looks.
I like things that are hard or time consuming that cook up, in one way or the other, all day long. Oh I just found this one, and it looks like a real winner, but where do I get duck and everything else? I mean really, where do you get duck these days? Like the duck legs this calls for...

Also wanted to add, I love Jacques Pepin, what's not to love? He's a master at all he does cookingwise

 

[Callisto in NC]

do you have a recipe for a really good cassoulet?
I watched the last food network star and enjoyed the cassoulet dish that a lady made. I'd like to know if one is worth putting the effort into.

any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

If it had been any other contestant that made it I would have been willing to try but I can't stand Lisa. I hope she doesn't win. Funny how they aren't letting fans vote this season.

 

[miniman]

We have duck readily available in our supermarkets. The other place to look is the internet - we have a number of retailers who will post out meat, fish etc in appropriate containers.

 

[LEFSElover]

suggestions I got were to go to my local Bristol Farms or Whole Foods and order from either of them. Also can ask my local supermarket if they have a source and if all else fails, I have found two sources online.

Callista, I am hoping she won't win as the lady [Amy, I think her name was] only lasted a short time with very uninteresting programs to me, and they remind me of each other. Either of the guys would be good for me.

 

[kitchenelf]

Hi LEFSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dean & Deluca might carry duck. Oh, please let me know if you try this!

 

[sattie]

Lefse.... I too caught that episode and was interested in the dish. I did a lazy version of it this past weekend that turned out pretty well. I'm sure it is not the true blue way of doing cassoulet, but it sure tasted good. This is the recipe I used. I am definately going to try a more involved version next time around. I used chicken thighs, legs, and wings. And I added about a cup of stewed crushed tomatoes. I almost wished that I had doubled the beans. Because those were awesome!

 

[LEFSElover]

Confused as to how Lisa made hers in the short time limit she had especially since she had to do the mac and cheese too. No doubt the beans were canned. No doubt she could ask for duck as it was in there too, I guess they each had their choice of ingredients to make their throwdown.

 

[ChefJune]

Confused as to how Lisa made hers in the short time limit she had especially since she had to do the mac and cheese too. No doubt the beans were canned. No doubt she could ask for duck as it was in there too, I guess they each had their choice of ingredients to make their throwdown.

No self-respecting Frenchman would call what Lisa made Cassoulet! Cassoulet has to be cooked in stages, and low and slow. No way to make a "real" one in 75 minutes! She must have also bought duck legs that had already been made into confit. (Shoot! making duck confit -- which I love to do -- takes several days!)

I don't know about you, but I really am not a fan of canned beans, except in a pinch. I always think I can still taste the can! and I really dislike that goop that is always in the bottom.

 

[ChefJune]

For anyone interested, you can get great duck, and even sometimes confit already made (and delicious) from Dartagnan.com. Ariane Daguin, the owner and founder of the firm is a native of Gascony, and the daughter of the renowned chef Andre Daguin from Auch.
Don't shoot me for pointing you to that site. You're gonna LOVE it!

 

[Andy M.]

Here's the ingredient list from the Jacques Pepin cassoulet recipe I sent to lefselover. It promises great flavor but demands time in its preparation.


2 Lb White Pea or Navy Beans
1 Tb Salt
1 Leek, split and washed
1 Onion, med.
2 Cloves, stuck into the onion
1 Carrot, halved
2 C Tomato, peeled, seeded + chopped
3 Garlic, crushed
1 Tb Tomato Paste
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Thyme, dry
4-5 Parsley Sprigs
¾ Lb Pork Rind, tied in 3-4 bundles
1 Lb Bacon, in 1 piece
4 C Chicken Broth
6 C Cold Water
1 Lb Garlic Sausage
1 Duck, 4-5 pounds
2-3 Lb Pork Shoulder, boned, rolled and tied
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Salt
1½ C Fresh Bread Crumbs
½ C Pork or Duck Fat

 

[Andy M.]

For anyone interested, you can get great duck, and even sometimes confit already made (and delicious) from Dartagnan.com. Ariane Daguin, the owner and founder of the firm is a native of Gascony, and the daughter of the renowned chef Andre Daguin from Auch.
Don't shoot me for pointing you to that site. You're gonna LOVE it!

No shooting necessary. Thanks for posting the link.

 

[ChefJune]

hmmmm I've never made a Jacques Pepin recipe that didn't turn out fabulous.

That would be worth the work, but I don't advise making it in the hot weather. Cassoulet is real stick-to-your-ribs food, for sure!

 

[Andy M.]

hmmmm I've never made a Jacques Pepin recipe that didn't turn out fabulous.

That would be worth the work, but I don't advise making it in the hot weather. Cassoulet is real stick-to-your-ribs food, for sure!

This is definitely a cold winter day recipe.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Confused as to how Lisa made hers in the short time limit she had especially since she had to do the mac and cheese too. No doubt the beans were canned. No doubt she could ask for duck as it was in there too, I guess they each had their choice of ingredients to make their throwdown.

The beans were canned, I thought she complained about it and went on and on about how this dish takes HOURS to prepare so she had to cut corners. Everything she's done takes HOURS to prepare. It's one of the reasons I won't watch her show any more than I watched Amy's. I haven't heard if Amy is coming back, but I doubt it since Food Network is debuting all their new shows by the end of July and she's not in the line up. I'll take Adam or Aaron over Lisa. Lisa isn't down home cook enough for me. Aaron is a lot like Bobby Flay in his food so I like him.

Personally, I like canned beans. I'm too busy to deal with dry. Good luck on your cassoulet.

 

[Robo410]

Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking covers the topic well. Just making the lamb and sausage part is quite tasty by itself. The only way it could be done so quickly on Food Network was using prime cuts of meat rather than boney hunks which is the ideal for flavor. A "quick one" takes about 4-5 hours, and is better the next day as with all such braises.)

(quite frankly if Bobby felt that Lisa's was the best he'd ever had, he needs to go back to French Culinary Institute and talk to his chef/professors.)

 

[Callisto in NC]

Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking covers the topic well. Just making the lamb and sausage part is quite tasty by itself. The only way it could be done so quickly on Food Network was using prime cuts of meat rather than boney hunks which is the ideal for flavor. A "quick one" takes about 4-5 hours, and is better the next day as with all such braises.)

(quite frankly if Bobby felt that Lisa's was the best he'd ever had, he needs to go back to French Culinary Institute and talk to his chef/professors.)

In Paula and Bobby's defense, they both said it wasn't something they had had often and Paula had never had it so she didn't have a base to compare it to in the first place (unless she was equating it with bean soup of some kind). I'll end up watching the ep again but I'm sure he said he hadn't had that many. Then again, maybe he doesn't usually like it and the more down homeness of Lisa's quick cook was better to him. It really did look like white bean stew. And, remember, they are trying to pimp a new show. Viewers aren't voting this time and and they've already picked the winner so maybe she won and they edited that creatively so people would think she's good at what she does.

 

[ChefJune]

the more down homeness of Lisa's quick cook was better to him.

Imho, a quick version would definitely NOT be more "down homey" than a long, slow cook... By the way, Cassoulet is not braised. It's a stew.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Imho, a quick version would definitely NOT be more "down homey" than a long, slow cook... By the way, Cassoulet is not braised. It's a stew.

Let's see, her long version has all kinds of gross meats and her quick one had the duck leg on top, easy to remove. Definitely down home not froo froo like her 8 hour version. Cassoulet sounds French which is froo froo, not down home. Just the ingredients are froo froo. What she ended up doing was more like butter bean stew.