Ina Garten Cassoulet Recipe - Delish Sides (2024)

FAQs

What sides to serve with cassoulet? ›

Because cassoulet is meant to be rich and substantial, it pairs beautifully with a salad of dark greens and a citrusy (or mustardy) vinaigrette to add some acidity to the meal. Also, don't forget to serve your cassoulet with plenty of crusty baguette pieces for dipping!

Toulouse sausage is deliciously grilled over hardwoods, gently roasted in a 180°C oven, and, of course, in cassoulet and other winter soups. The Toulouse Sausage is offered in a variety of tastes in France. The main ingredients, however, are pork, red wine, and garlic.

Nestle sausage into cassoulet and bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes. Gently stir beans, mashing some with back of spoon, to thicken broth before serving.

It's baked and served in a deep, handmade earthenware vessel called a cassole, with traditional sloping sides.

Andouillette (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃dujɛt]) is a French coarse-grained sausage made from the intestine of pork, pepper, wine, onions, and seasonings.

A Dish of History

The first cassoulet is claimed by the city of Castelnaudary, which was under siege by the British during the Hundred Years War. The beleaguered townspeople gathered up the ingredients they could find and made a large stew to nourish and bolster their defenders.

All the ingredients for a good cassoulet can be found in most grocery stores. Purists will argue that you need to find real tarbais beans but I have found white kidney beans work just as well. They will mention that there are 3 versions of true cassoulets (Castelnaudary, Carcassone, and Toulouse).

Originating in the South of France, cassoulet is a profoundly hearty peasant dish that typically includes white beans, duck (or goose) confit, and sausage, through specific preparations vary from town to town. It also is supposed to take a couple of days to put together, as the flavors of the meat develop slowly.

Conran suggests Polish kielbasa as a Toulouse substitute, but the smoky sort I use makes everything taste like a frankfurter, so I'd steer clear – basically, you need something with a very high meat content, and preferably a hefty whack of garlic.

Garlic sausage substitution: Fresh pork sausage, such as a mild, sweet Italian sausage without fennel can be substituted for the garlic sausage. Salt pork substitution: You can use bacon but it is not traditional and does add a distinct smokiness, which is not unpleasant but cassoulet purists would disapprove.

What is the Holy Trinity of cassoulet? ›

There are three types of cassoulet – the Holy Trinity. There's the 'Father' (pork and goose), the 'Son' (mutton and partridge), and the 'Holy Ghost' (sausage, mutton, and duck).

A meaty stew of poultry, sausage, pork, and beans, all under a rich, dark brown crust.

Cassoulet is a Healthy Food

A slice of country bread (and sometimes even cheese) makes it a complete meal, but if you want to be decadent, serve it with a glass of full-bodied red wine. The whole point of cassoulet is the beans, which are the dish's foundation.

Layer cassoulet.

It goes like this: one-third of ragout mixture, half of the sausage and duck meat, another third of the ragout mixture, remaining sausages and duck meat, then remaining ragout mixture.

A cassoulet, of course, is something else entirely, and usually refers to that long-simmering stew from southwest France of duck, lamb or pork, and white beans. Confused? Maybe it will help if you roll up your sleeves and bake this cassolette recipe—a luscious gratin of chicken and noodles rife with French flavors.

cassoulet, French dish of white beans baked with meats; it takes its name from its cooking pot, the cassole d'Issel. Originating in Languedoc in southwest France, cassoulet was once simple farmhouse fare, but it has been elaborated into a rich and complex dish.