Three different towns in the south of France each produce slightly different versions of cassoulet, that hearty, beany casserole named after the
cassole, the earthenware bowl in which it is traditionally cooked and served. Having visited Carcassonne and Toulouse prior to
our permanent move to the region, only Castelnaudary, which lays claim to actually having invented the dish, remained.
Le Tirou chef/owner
Jean-Claude Visentin is a Maître Restaurateur, a prized title not taken lightly. It's a curious place with odd, slightly chintzy furnishings that
embellish otherwise standard restaurant table settings. And you can't
miss the petting zoo in the back yard on display to the entire dining
room. (Roosters and an alpaca (llama, maybe) and a statue of a cow and
more...) But, like 90% of the restaurants in Castelnaudary, whatever
else that it's about, it's about the cassoulet.
Brought to the table with some ceremony in
the appropriate
cassoles, properly crusted, the maitre d'
spooned out a piece of homemade sausage, a piece of
confit de porc, a
piece of
confit de canard, and a serving of beans onto the plates of
each of the ladies. Not a fan of such beanful fare, I opted for
cuisse de canard
confite - leg and thigh of duck
confit. The cassoulet was a real treat for the
ladies, each component with a distinctive flavor, the portion slightly more than they could finish. My duck was done as I like it and as so few restaurants serve it, with the skin crispy instead of limp.
We found the service polite and attentive
without being intrusive and Visentin visited each
table as lunch concluded, even displaying a smattering of English in
our honor. This was the real deal even
if the setting had the flavor of a touristy joint. They care about the
cassoulet and it showed. Not the least expensive in town - the three
mains with a demi of wine, two desserts and two coffees just topped 100
Euros. But well worth it. Thumbs up.
Read more of my reviews
HERE.
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