Thursday, January 13, 2011

Cassoulet -- a daring challenge with a French flare

I came across this quote and it was simply perfect:

"Cassoulet, that best of bean feasts, is everyday fare for a peasant but ambrosia for a gastronome, though its ideal consumer is a 300-pound blocking back who has been splitting firewood nonstop for the last twelve hours on a subzero day in Manitoba."

-Julia Child, Julia Child and More Company, Cassoulet for a Crowd


cassouletOur January 2011 Challenge comes from Jenni of The Gingered Whisk
and Lisa from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. They have challenged the Daring Cooks to learn how to make a confit and use it within the traditional French dish of Cassoulet. They have chosen a traditional recipe from Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman.


I can't remember anything else I ever made that required this level of planning, preparation and effort. And I definitely can't recall when all of that time and effort paid off with such a bang.