Classic Cassoulet Recipe from Gascony
D'Artagnan's Homeland Brings us Beans, Sausages and Ventreche
Nov 3, 2009
Perhaps more than any other person Ariane Daguin is responsible for bringing the “sweetness of life” la douceur de vivre from her native Gascony to the United States. If you've ever participated in or watched the Duckathlon - Daguin's annual gastronomic challenge, then you know how much fun Daguin can be!
For her years of tireless promotion of Gascon cuisine, she’s been recognized by the James Beard Foundation and is a recipient of their “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” distinction. (see also Dorothy Cann Hamilton Who's Who Honoree on Wanderlust, Recessions, and a Perfect Peach) She’s also received a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award and is the founding president of Les Nouvelles Meres Cuisinieres.
Culinary Traditions from the South West of France
Gascony was an independent state and even sided with the English against the French. Indeed, to this day Parisians and Gascons will shrug shoulders and roll eyes at the ways of the other. Honest, simple country cooking is native to the region and perhaps no better dish exemplifies the rustic elegance of the food of Gascon than Cassoulet. Here are some culinary highlights:
- Ventrèche - cured pork belly used in South Western French Cuisine. Similar to pancetta, it contains both meat and fat and is cured with salt coating for 10 days then washed and coated with cracked pepper and cured for 1-4 weeks. A smoked version is also made: Vetrèche fumée
- Gascony is known for its food and wine - it is home to foie gras and Armagnac
- The cocktail Pousse-rapier “Sword Thruster” combines two things for which Gascony is known: Armagnac and swordsmanship.
- D’Artagnan was the name of Dumas famous musketeer of Gascon origins.
- Tannat is another grape that hails from Gascony and is becoming more well known here and abroad.
- A paradox explained: Daguin shared with the class that butter was not a traditional source of fat in the Gascon diet. Duck fat actually contains a lower percentage of saturated fats than butter - 33% versus 62%. The use of duck fat and goose fat (fat from web-footed birds) is thought to account for the high levels of good cholesterol in the average Gascon's diet. In fact, duck fat has a higher percentage of mono-unsaturated fat (49% as compard to butter's 29%) than saturated fat. Duck fat's profile more closely resembles that of olive oil.
New York Culinary Experience Brings Gascon Charm and Cassoulet Class to Eager Students
At the recent New York Culinary Experience, Ariane Daguin led a lively class in the making of her homeland’s iconic dish. She shares this recipe:
D'Artagnan Classic Cassoulet
Daguin notes that this dish will vary according to the cook, the types of sausages and confit available. What follows is a good, basic cassoulet recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Tarbais Beans or Great Northern Beans, picked over and rinsed.
- 12 oz piece of ventrèche
- 10 garlic cloves
- 2 medium onions, skinned and cut in half
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- Bouquet garni: 5 parsley sprigs, 2 celery leaves, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf, 5 cloves, 10 peppercorns; tied in cheescloth
- 10 cups water
- kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 duck lets confit, cut in half at joint
- 4 links Duck and Armagnac sausages, lightly browned, the cut in thrids crosswise
- 1 lb frehs garlic sausage, cut into 12 slices
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- 6.5 oz of duck and veal demi-glace dissovled in 3.5 C of water
- 1/4 C duck fat, melted
Directions:
- Cover beans with water and soak overnight. Drain and put into a large heavy casserole, preferably enameled cast-iron, with ventreche, garlic, onions, carrot and bouquet garni. Cover with 10 cups water; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, until beans are barely tender, about 1 hour.
- Drain beans, discard onions and bouquet garni. Cut ventreche into 1/2 inch squares.
- Season beans with 1 tsp salt and several grindings of pepper.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees farenheit.
- Place half of the mixture in casserole. Add duck sausage, duck legs, garlic sausage and ventreche; cover with remaining beans.
- Mix tomato paste into dissolved demi-glace, then pour over bean mixture. Drizzle duck fat over top.
- Cover and bake until hot and bubbling, about 2 hours. May be prepared in advance, cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
- Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees farenheit. Uncover casserole and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Daguin shared both her philosophy of humanely raised livestock, and her products made without antibiotics, growth hormones, artificial preservatives, or animal byproducts. D'Artagnan was founded on the principles of procuring the freshest, cleanest and most natural products, supports small family farms, practicing sustainable farming. They care for their animals using good moral judgment and don’t see them simply as a means of profit.
This class was filled with passion, fun and good food - a perfect example of both the French Culinary Institute's philosophy and Daguin's charm.
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