Oh, la vache!
Last week, in my review of the stellar Highland French bistro Z Cuisine, I played fast and loose with the origins of one of its best dishes, the traditional French stew cassoulet.
I suggested that cassoulet may have been born in Provence, in southeast France. Not to pass the franc, but it was a Frenchman who told me so.
But cassoulet’s history is fuzzier than that. It’s more often identified as coming from 200 miles away in southwest France’s Languedoc region, specifically Toulouse. Or, if you ask someone else, Carcassonne.
Some say it arrived with the Arabs, who occupied the area in the 12th century. Some credit the 14th-century mayor of Castelnaudary. (According to this story, the city, under siege by the British during the Hundred Years’ War, had a wise mayor who figured that full-bellied citizens would make better fighters. He commissioned a hearty civic stew from whatever was available in town: cassoulet. Thus fed, they successfully repelled the attacks.)
Others think that the dish never fully developed until culinary discoveries from the New World, namely various varieties of beans, arrived in France in the 1500s. Some even say that cassoulet came from (gasp) Spain.
What’s the real story? Whose claim on cassoulet is the most legitimate? It would take a lifetime of culinary sleuthing to uncover the truth. (Oh, what a pleasant life’s work that would be.)
But while every story has some truth in it, we don’t know all the answers and likely never will. The history of cassoulet is too complex, too steeped in local lore, and too tied to the fervent provincialism that colors French regional cooking. Plus, recipes change from town to town, year to year, kitchen to kitchen.
Nonetheless, I owe a debt of thanks to the many French transplants in Denver who called and wrote with their versions of cassoulet’s history, each of which was slightly different, but all of which were passionate and well-considered.
One thing that holds true about cassoulet, whatever its provenance, is this: Like gumbo or chowder or chili con carne, it is a stew of the people.
Here’s my own homespun version of cassoulet, which can be made on the cheap and without too much hassle (no trolling for duck confit; or even more daunting, making your own).
Authentic? Nope. Not even close. (In fact, I could get fined in France for calling this dish cassoulet; they have strict culinary laws over there and don’t play around with their national treasures.)
But in the tradition of cassoulet, this is a hearty, rib-sticking stew of the people. So next time the British lay seige on Denver, you’ll know what to serve.
Non-Cassoulet Kitchensink Stew
From Denver Post dining critic Tucker Shaw, serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large enameled Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté bacon and chorizo in olive oil until tender but not brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings behind.
Sauté chicken thighs skin-side down until browned, 6-7 minutes. Work in batches and don’t crowd the pan. Remove to a plate to hold.
Remove excess fat from pot, leaving 2 tablespoons. Sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
Add chicken stock. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the liquid. Stir in pepper flakes, herbs and mustard. Add chard and beans. Return chicken and accumulated juices to pot, making sure the browned skin is not submerged. Cover and bake 1 hour.
Uncover pot and, use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Return uncovered dish to the oven and bake, allowing the cheese to brown, about 15 minutes more. Serve hot.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-820-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
