Cassoulet
Cassoulet is the most famous dish from South west France. Cassoulet can be translated as "bean pot stew" or "white bean stew" or "meat and bean casserole".
The origin of cassoulet is not very clear. Some historians say it is an Arab dish, others say it was created in Castelnaudary during the Hundred Years War (14-15th Century).
In France, there are as many cassoulet recipes as cooks but for all recipes there are some basic rules to follow : a good cassoulet has to include 70% of haricot beans, juice and aromates and 30% of meat and you have to keep in mind that it is a simmered dish.
There are 3 famous recipes:
- Cassoulet de Castelnaudary, which is made up with pork meat.
- Cassoulet de Toulouse, which is richer than the Castelnaudary recipe
as you add in lamb and sausages.
- Cassoulet de Carcassonne, which is also made up with partridge.
Contrary to what some people think, cassoulet is good for your health and relatively light, 700 to 800 kcal for one platter. However cassoulet is rather a winter dish and when you serve one, consider it is a complete meal so do not plan more than a salad and a light dessert or fruit with it.
Ingredients for 8 servings :
600 gr [1.3 lbs] white kidney beans (haricot beans)800 gr [1.8 lbs] bacon
1 kg [2.2 lbs] pork meat (loin, knuckle…)
1 kg [2.2 lbs] lamb meat8 pieces of preserved goose
1 Toulouse sausage1 pork rind400 gr [14 oz] tomatoes200 gr [7 oz] carrots7 onions10 garlic cloves
5 cl [2 fl oz] olive oil
1 bouquet garni (bunch of aromatic herbs)
3 cloves / thyme
salt & pepper
Directions:
- Soak the beans into water during 1 night then rinse them generously.
- Cover the bottom of a large casserole with the pork rind and display the beans on it.
- Add the bacon, the pealed onions pricked with the cloves, the bouquet garni,
3 crushed garlic cloves, the pealed and cut (into 8 pieces) carrots. Season with salt & pepper, cover with water ; put a lid and simmer for 2 hours.
- During this simmering, fry the pork and lamb pieces in oil. Add 4 pealed and minced onions and 2 pealed and minced garlic cloves. Spread with thyme then
add the tomatoes cut into pieces. Season with salt & pepper, then add 5 cl /
2 fl oz water, cover and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Right before the beans are cooked, take out the bouquet garni, the onions and the pork rind.
Cut the rind into small cubes then put them back with the beans, together with the sausage and the preserved goose. Add the meats with all the cooking juice and other ingredients. Gently mix and simmer for another 20 minutes.
This must be served very hot but it can be re-heated….
EscargotsIngredients:1 cup of butter, softened.
2 tablespoons of shallots, chopped.
2 tablespoons of garlic, chopped.
2 tablespoons of Champagne or other white wine.
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
1 tablespoon of parsley, freshly chopped.
1 teaspoon of brandy.
1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
½ teaspoon of salt.
Pinch of black pepper.
36 snails and shells.
Directions:- Gently combine all of the ingredients except the snails.
- In a large skillet, heat the mixture, then add the snails and simmer for about 12 minutes, allowing the liquid to cook into the snails.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Put a small amount of the butter mixture into the bottom of each shell. Insert a snail using end of fork. Top with additional butter mixture. Repeat until all of the shells are filled, placing them in flat baking dish as they are completed.
- Pour the remaining butter mixture over the snails and heat until bubbling (about 10 minutes).
Crêpes Suzette recipeIngredients:6 sugar lumps.
1 orange rind.½ cup of butter.
Juice of 1 orange.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
3 tablespoons of Curacao.
3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.Crêpes.
½ cup of Cognac.
Directions:- Rub the sugar lumps on the orange rind.
- Crush the sugar with the butter, mixing well with fork until creamy.
- In a chafing dish, melt the sugar/butter mixture, then add the orange juice, lemon juice, Curacao and Grand Mariner. Bring to boil.
- Lift the crêpes into the sauce.
- Heat the crêpes, turning once and spooning sauce over them.
- Fold each crêpe in quarters and sprinkle with Cognac.
- Once the Cognac is warm, ignite, and serve while sauce is flaming.- Serve crêpes on heated plate with sauce over them
Cassoulet
Cassoulet is the most famous dish from South west France. Cassoulet can be translated as "bean pot stew" or "white bean stew" or "meat and bean casserole".
The origin of cassoulet is not very clear. Some historians say it is an Arab dish, others say it was created in Castelnaudary during the Hundred Years War (14-15th Century).
In France, there are as many cassoulet recipes as cooks but for all recipes there are some basic rules to follow : a good cassoulet has to include 70% of haricot beans, juice and aromates and 30% of meat and you have to keep in mind that it is a simmered dish.
There are 3 famous recipes:
- Cassoulet de Castelnaudary, which is made up with pork meat.
- Cassoulet de Toulouse, which is richer than the Castelnaudary recipe
as you add in lamb and sausages.
- Cassoulet de Carcassonne, which is also made up with partridge.
Contrary to what some people think, cassoulet is good for your health and relatively light, 700 to 800 kcal for one platter. However cassoulet is rather a winter dish and when you serve one, consider it is a complete meal so do not plan more than a salad and a light dessert or fruit with it.
Ingredients for 8 servings :
600 gr [1.3 lbs] white kidney beans (haricot beans)
800 gr [1.8 lbs] bacon1 kg [2.2 lbs] pork meat (loin, knuckle…)
1 kg [2.2 lbs] lamb meat
8 pieces of preserved goose1 Toulouse sausage
1 pork rind
400 gr [14 oz] tomatoes
200 gr [7 oz] carrots
7 onions
10 garlic cloves5 cl [2 fl oz] olive oil
1 bouquet garni (bunch of aromatic herbs)
3 cloves / thyme
salt & pepper
Directions:
- Soak the beans into water during 1 night then rinse them generously.
- Cover the bottom of a large casserole with the pork rind and display the beans on it.
- Add the bacon, the pealed onions pricked with the cloves, the bouquet garni,
3 crushed garlic cloves, the pealed and cut (into 8 pieces) carrots. Season with salt & pepper, cover with water ; put a lid and simmer for 2 hours.
- During this simmering, fry the pork and lamb pieces in oil. Add 4 pealed and minced onions and 2 pealed and minced garlic cloves. Spread with thyme then
add the tomatoes cut into pieces. Season with salt & pepper, then add 5 cl /
2 fl oz water, cover and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Right before the beans are cooked, take out the bouquet garni, the onions and the pork rind.
Cut the rind into small cubes then put them back with the beans, together with the sausage and the preserved goose. Add the meats with all the cooking juice and other ingredients. Gently mix and simmer for another 20 minutes.
This must be served very hot but it can be re-heated….
EscargotsIngredients:
1 cup of butter, softened.
2 tablespoons of shallots, chopped.
2 tablespoons of garlic, chopped.
2 tablespoons of Champagne or other white wine.
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
1 tablespoon of parsley, freshly chopped.
1 teaspoon of brandy.
1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
½ teaspoon of salt.
Pinch of black pepper.
36 snails and shells.
2 tablespoons of shallots, chopped.
2 tablespoons of garlic, chopped.
2 tablespoons of Champagne or other white wine.
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
1 tablespoon of parsley, freshly chopped.
1 teaspoon of brandy.
1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
½ teaspoon of salt.
Pinch of black pepper.
36 snails and shells.
Directions:
- Gently combine all of the ingredients except the snails.
- In a large skillet, heat the mixture, then add the snails and simmer for about 12 minutes, allowing the liquid to cook into the snails.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Put a small amount of the butter mixture into the bottom of each shell. Insert a snail using end of fork. Top with additional butter mixture. Repeat until all of the shells are filled, placing them in flat baking dish as they are completed.
- Pour the remaining butter mixture over the snails and heat until bubbling (about 10 minutes).
- In a large skillet, heat the mixture, then add the snails and simmer for about 12 minutes, allowing the liquid to cook into the snails.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Put a small amount of the butter mixture into the bottom of each shell. Insert a snail using end of fork. Top with additional butter mixture. Repeat until all of the shells are filled, placing them in flat baking dish as they are completed.
- Pour the remaining butter mixture over the snails and heat until bubbling (about 10 minutes).
Crêpes Suzette recipeIngredients:
6 sugar lumps.
1 orange rind.½ cup of butter.
Juice of 1 orange.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
3 tablespoons of Curacao.
3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.Crêpes.
½ cup of Cognac.
1 orange rind.½ cup of butter.
Juice of 1 orange.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
3 tablespoons of Curacao.
3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.Crêpes.
½ cup of Cognac.
Directions:
- Rub the sugar lumps on the orange rind.
- Crush the sugar with the butter, mixing well with fork until creamy.
- In a chafing dish, melt the sugar/butter mixture, then add the orange juice, lemon juice, Curacao and Grand Mariner. Bring to boil.
- Lift the crêpes into the sauce.
- Heat the crêpes, turning once and spooning sauce over them.
- Fold each crêpe in quarters and sprinkle with Cognac.
- Once the Cognac is warm, ignite, and serve while sauce is flaming.- Serve crêpes on heated plate with sauce over them
- Crush the sugar with the butter, mixing well with fork until creamy.
- In a chafing dish, melt the sugar/butter mixture, then add the orange juice, lemon juice, Curacao and Grand Mariner. Bring to boil.
- Lift the crêpes into the sauce.
- Heat the crêpes, turning once and spooning sauce over them.
- Fold each crêpe in quarters and sprinkle with Cognac.
- Once the Cognac is warm, ignite, and serve while sauce is flaming.- Serve crêpes on heated plate with sauce over them
