Cassoulet "tweak"

[Candocook]

In another thread a poster was commenting about her husband making cassoulet and that the dinner was a big hit.
I am in the process of making the components for a cassoulet dinner and thought I would pass along a very neat idea I got in a Johnson&Wales Bistro cooking class last year, where ONE of the dishes we prepared was cassoulet!!

My T&T recipe has a lamb stew component as one of the layers and is just delicious. HOwever in the class, for that "component" of the dish, chef prepared a lamb tenderloin. He butterflied it, laid it open and inserted link sausage (I think a non-fennel Italian style) down the center. Then he tied it up with string. Then it was poached in duck stock until just done.
In the final assembly, these cylinders were sliced in approximately 1" slices and layered near the top of the dish--just under the final beans and bread crumb crust. It made for a very nice presentation when served since it was a discrete piece of meat on the plate.

Since I think I will have a hard time finding lamb tenderloins--at a price I want to afford--I plan to do it with pork tenderloin perhaps using a merguez sausage--probably homemade.
Just thought I would pass this along.
As another aside, I LOVE using flageolets as my beans.

 

[auntdot]

Just purchased a lamb tenderloin and was wondering what to do with it.

It is frozen so there is no hurry.

A cassoulet would work but I feel the delicate taste may be lost in the stew.

Usually put some stronger tasting lamb in a cassoulet.

But a cassoulet does sound very good right now.

Gotta think about this.

 

[QSis]

Just purchased a lamb tenderloin and was wondering what to do with it.

It is frozen so there is no hurry.

A cassoulet would work but I feel the delicate taste may be lost in the stew.

Usually put some stronger tasting lamb in a cassoulet.

But a cassoulet does sound very good right now.

Gotta think about this.

Well, Aunt Dot, as I was reading Candocook's description of the sausage wrapped in lamb tenderloin, poached in stock, I thought to myself that I would love to have just THAT, and the heck with the cassoulet!

mmmm MMMM!!!

Lee

 

[Claire]

YummYumm. We

 

[Candocook]

I am sure I could order a lamb tenderloin but have never seen it in our town/city. But it would be tres cher I know and probably need two for a cassoulet for 8. My lamb stew is not "strong flavored"--nicely flavored and distinctive but not any stronger than a loin lamb chop, I think.
Anyway, it WAS a nice serving. I am looking up a recipe for merguez to make--have a lot of lamb from my yearly purchase for the freezer.

By the way, the rack of lamb sold at Costco is absolutely WONderful--as good as any I have had anywhere in fine restaurants.

 

[lyndalou]

I have a boneless leg of lamb in my freezer. Con't imagine where I would get duck fat, but would like to try some sort of sausage stuffing. Any suggestions?

 

[AlexR]

Hi,

No cassoulet I've ever had has had lamb in it, although there are regional variations, of course.

The most traditional kind has duck confit and, above all, saucisses de Toulouse.

Presumably, these ingredients are difficult to find outside of France.

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[Candocook]

I have a boneless leg of lamb in my freezer. Con't imagine where I would get duck fat, but would like to try some sort of sausage stuffing. Any suggestions?

I don't quite understand. I don't believe I would stuff a leg of lamb with sausage.
As for duck fat, you can render it from a whole duck and then cook the duck several ways, if you want. Or it can be ordered online.

 

[Candocook]

Hi,

No cassoulet I've ever had has had lamb in it, although there are regional variations, of course.

The most traditional kind has duck confit and, above all, saucisses de Toulouse.

Presumably, these ingredients are difficult to find outside of France.

What are the Toulouse sausages like--garlicky, pork, etc?
Confit is not difficult to make and I have to say that my latest prep was unusually good. Looking forward to setting a date for a special dinner. It can be ordered online, of course, as I imagine the sausages could be.

And yes, the sausages are available--even from Amazon. I put some in my shopping cart there!!

I would never deign to dispute a person actually LIVING in SW France, but there seem to be a LOT of cassoulets with lamb. The first one I ever made was Julia Child's.
Here is one version. Cassoulet d'Agneau

I have always heard it was a sort of catchall dish and used whatever the cook had available. And being the hearty bean dish that it is, a lot of "stuff" can go in it to add to the layers of flavor that come out.

Well, I went spelunking for a Toulouse sausage recipe and discovered this description. I'll have to give it a try. I guess that is why Julia and others suggest a "non-fennel Italian sausage".
Toulouse sausage Pronunciation: too-LOOZ Notes: This exquisite French sausage is usually made with pork, smoked bacon, wine, and garlic. It's a great sausage for a cassoulet. Cook it before serving. Substitutes: kielbasa (works well in a cassoulet) OR Italian sweet sausage

 

[AlexR]

Candocook,

>What are the Toulouse sausages like--garlicky, pork, etc?

Yup. Big & thick.

You can probably order confit easily in America, but I have a few doubts as to saucisses de Toulouse seeing as they should be fresh.

While I have lived in France for nearly 30 years, as I said earlier, most of that time in Bordeaux.
There are a whole bunch of variations on cassoulet, but I assure you that the standard one contains no lamb.
Of course, there is no reason this cannot be added and it may even be standard in some small pockets of the Languedoc Roussillon or Midi-Pyrénées region.

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[Snoop Puss]

Here's an interesting article about disputes over what goes in to a proper Cassoulet:

Tales from the Cassoulet Front

But to contradict it, I have had many a fine Cassoulet from Castelnaudry and not one has ever had lamb in it. Before reading this thread and this article, I would have said that lamb was not included in a traditional Cassoulet and I'm still not convinced that it is.

 

[Candocook]

I have read that article. But I went to look for the "source" --the authority on the cooking of SW France. Take a look at what Paula Wolfert has to say.
And, back to my original "tweak"--using the pork would fulfill Alex's "need" for the authentic meat. But lamb is darned good in it. And Paula found it too.
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/2X/07645760/076457602X.pdf

 

[TexanFrench]

Cassoulet is peasant stew from the Languedoc region. There is no "one authentic" version. Pork, mutton, duck, goose, game birds, can all be put into a cassoulet. Several 19th century French writers lauded the dish, and several old recipes, each slightly different, can be reconstructed from their descriptions.

My 1961 version of Larousse Gastronomique offers 3 "historical" recipes and 2 "modern" recipes. The one thing they all have in common is white beans in a good broth seasoned with a "bouquet garni" plus onion and garlic, some sort of flavorful meat(s), and a big casserole to hold it all. Some recipes call for tomatoes added at the end, some don't.

There is even some discussion about the different versions of white beans, but let's not go there.

 

[BreezyCooking]

D'Artagnan carries duck confit, & it's quite good. In fact, I have yet to purchase any of their products & be disappointed. While I didn't use the duck legs confit in Cassoulet, I did serve them on a bed of white beans, & they were very very tasty. Here in Virginia, the "Whole Foods" grocery chain carries their products, which is where I purchased mine, although you can also purchase directly from them. Here's their website:

https://www.dartagnan.com/search.asp

 

[TexanFrench]

D'Artagnanan's products are very good!

 

[Claire]

Remember that cassoulet is a peasannt dish, that is to say that the ingredients vary from person to person. I made a great version, but turned it over to my husband, who makes a better version in less time (oh, OK, I'll admit to making the stock and roasting the duck). No, it isn't real confit. I just roast the duck, then skim off the fat so he has it for schmaltz. I make a fancy dinner out of the duck breasts, then turn the bones into stock and save the leg/thigh portions for him to stick into the casserole. The dish is great with sausage, smoked meats, and game. Every cassoulet is different. By-the-way, this is the origins of our word: Casserole.

 

[Candocook]

"Every cassoulet is different. By-the-way, this is the origins of our word: Casserole"

I agree about the peasant origins of this great dish--every French farmhouse in the Southwest probably has their very own recipe.

I think the name is however, just that. Casserole is a french word on its own.

cas·se·role (kăs'ə-rōl')
A dish, usually of earthenware, glass, or cast iron, in which food is both baked and served.
Food prepared and served in such a dish.
[French, saucepan, diminutive of Old French casse, ladle, pan, from Old Provençal cassa, from Medieval Latin cattia, dipper, from Greek kuathion, diminutive of kuathos, ladle.]