"cooking live with sarah gilbert" news and stories

I've finished cooking my cassoulet, and it wasn't near as bad as I feared. Other than being labor-intensive for about an hour, it cooked all by itself while I hung out with my family. It's now being consumed as fast as we can shovel it in our mouths. It's so flavorful, and the different sorts of meats really go together well. I love LOVE the beans. I could eat them one by one all night long.

Next time, I think I'll make it with lamb and substitute something else for the garlic sausage - I don't really like it much. Maybe something spicy like andouille (although I know that's going a bit in a different direction). The duck is fantastic, and although the whole dish is pricey, it's worth it - I fed six adults for about $30, and you could go cheaper by purchasing your stew meat from a regular grocery store.

It's about 2 p.m. here in Portland, and I'm starting to cook my cassoulet. I've got a pile full of meats from Pastaworks (I'm using the veal for my yummy French stew). I'm a little jittery, as there are so many steps and so many different kinds of meat! I'm looking forward to finally attempting this legendary French country dish (the ultimate in slow cooking, if you ask me).

I'm going to start by cooking the white beans and, while they're simmering, I'll broil the duck confit. I'm terrified by duck, so I need a clear head and a clean kitchen.

I've decided to finally approach my fears head-on and make cassoulet. I've searched high and low for a good recipe and found a couple of great blueprints. I linked to this extremely detailed post on cassoulet when I spoke of it before, and I'm printing it out to use as a guide through my adventure.

Before you can make cassoulet, you have to decide how you're going to handle the meats. Most cassoulets are centered around duck, and use several parts of the bird. A classic rendition has the chef roasting the duck, rendering the fat, and making a 'confit' of the leg and a demiglace (French for stock) of the carcass. What's more, after all that, you have to select which other meats to include.

I made a critical decision when faced with my favorite butcher's meat counter and decided to buy duck confit already made. Brilliant no? It's pictured here. I also decided to go without the authentic duck stock and just buy storebought chicken broth. Hey, I don't have 48 hours to make this thing. I need cassoulet to be easy, or it's not happening.

Want to cook this live with me tonight? You'll have to head to the market. Here's what you'll need:

We're cooking

I picked up my lid about 30 minutes ago and the mixture hadn't even started bubbling yet. It was just... resting, warmly. I turned up the heat and now it's actually simmering. I'm headed out to get those oil-cured olives! I think I'm going to get some couscous as a side dish, that seems appropriate somehow. I'll post a wrap-up when the simmering finally concludes.

We're cooking

I pick up my wide bowl and start to pour in the wine and vegetables that marinated together with the beef for the last 24 hours. Of course, I somehow start pouring a bit before I make it to the pan. I'm not graceful even on my best of days. I have to use four or five paper towels to sop up the mess.

It's just as well, I decide, because all the wine might not have fit in my pan. That's a lot of beef, carrots, onions and wine. I set the heat to medium-low and put my big cast-iron lid on cockeyed. The smell of wine quickly permeates my home, mixing with the smell of browned beef. It's a bit overpowering, and makes me wonder how those French bistro chefs make it through their days without being a bit tipsy from the aroma alone. It's supposed to simmer for two hours? It's going to be a late dinner.  Next time I'm starting a lot earlier.