We often think of the cassoulet of Toulouse and Castelnaudary but we must not forget that of Carcassonne. In fact, this city is one of three homelands of cassoulet : so there is Toulouse, Castelnaudary, and Carcassonne. Everyone obviously disputes the paternity of the famous recipe! The quarrel still lasts today and arouses many passions.
We always find the same basis, that is to say white beans called ingots, rind, pieces of candied meat, herbs and sausage. The container is a large terracotta dish, called “cassole”, hence the name, “cassoulet”. Cooking is always longit sometimes lasts several days, the goal is for the beans to become tender.
Meat varies by origin cassoulet: in Castelnaudary, pork dominates, with pork loin, shank, ham, sausage and fresh bacon rinds. In the one from Toulouse, we put less pork, there is no loin but bacon, mutton breast, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. And in the famous cassoulet of Carcassonne, there is no pork loin at all, but mutton! Either from the shoulder or a short leg. And above all, we add one or more red partridges!
Don’t count on me to settle the debate! I will give you the answer of a famous chef, Prosper Montagné, originally from Carcassonne, who in the last century drew a parallel between cassoulet and the mystery of the Holy Trinity: “Cassoulet is the God of Occitan cuisine; God the father is the cassoulet of Castelnaudary, God the son is that of Carcassonne, and the Holy Spirit is that of Toulouse.” You will have understood, Loïc, it’s exactly like for the runners, God will recognize his own!