Bean stew, par excellence

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TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

Visit France in winter,and you'll find comfort food — hearty casserole dishes like coqauvin (chicken in wine), choucroute (sauerkraut with pork and sausages) and cassoulet (white beans and meats) — at bistros and brasseries where country cooking has been elevated to an art form.

My favorite is cassoulet, a dish someone once said was a meal "with a French accent and a sense of history." You can also add "and a bit of controversy" to the definition, since its origins and ingredients are often at odds.

Under general agreement, cassoulet is translated as "bean pot stew," "white bean stew" or "meat and bean casserole." It's possibly the most famous dish in regions of southwest France, and it is named, some say, for the cassole, or glazed earthenware dish in which the cassoulet is cooked.

White beans, the main ingredient, were brought to France from Spain in the 16th century, so some credit Spain for its origin.

Regardless of where it came from, cassoulet is, without question, a heartwarming, perfect-for-winter stew, slow-cooked and flavored with onion, carrot, herbs and cloves.

Like soups and stews that are the staples of agricultural areas, local meats were added to the simmering pot as they became available, so the basic recipe does have some variations. To cite the old cooking cliche — "there are as many recipes as there are cooks" — is not unreasonable, but it is generally accepted that original cassoulet recipes come from the towns of Castelnaudary, Carcassonne and Toulouse.

The Castelnaudary version contains mostly pork, including sausages, pork rind, fresh pork and even pig knuckles. Lamb is the staple of a Carcassonne recipe, such as the one following from the Hotel de la Cite, situated within the medieval walls of the city. During hunting season, you might find game birds like partridge, quail or pigeon. Toulouse provides the most elaborate version, with any combination of mutton, bacon, sausage and confit (goose or duck preserved in fat).

While this is a classic one-pot meal, you should expect to spend a day or two preparing it — a task that seems more daunting than it really is. To simplify things, you can order a cassoulet kit from D'Artagnan (800/327-8246 or www.dartagnan.com), a mail-order company that specializes in organic game and poultry, free-range meats, smoked and cured charcuterie, wild mushrooms, truffles and foie gras. The kit includes duck confit; duck, garlic, pork and Armagnac sausages; ventreche (cured pork belly); duck fat; demi-glace; coco tarbais (white beans); and this recipe.

Cassoulet D'Artagnan