Susan Gish explains how to source the components for a perfect cassoulet and how to find them in Aix, even during lockdown, in ‘Monsieur Cassoulet and the Cassoulet Diaries’.
We had a waiting list of friends that wanted to be invited to our yearly winter Cassoulet party. Our Center City Philadelphia townhome had a normal sized combination living room/dining room. Somehow we managed to squeeze in 27 people! Long tables were set up, friends brought their own chairs and once seated there was no room to get up.
Sam prepped and cooked for 4 days in advance. He would buy and then confit 30 duck legs and get a huge tub of duck fat. 
Buying duck already confited in the US was hard to find and the cost would be outrageous. So he did it himself. We brought real Tarbais beans back from our trips to France or got them shipped from Rancho Gordo in California.
‘Cassoulet is not really a recipe, it’s a way to argue among neighbouring villages of Gascony.’ -said André Daguin, a famous chef of Gascony (his daughter Ariane owns D’Artagnan foods in the US). Each village has their own recipe for making Cassoulet. The people from Toulouse, Castelnaudary and Carcassonne all have different ways of making it, and only theirs is ‘authentic’. Bread crumbs? Pfft… that’s absurd. Lamb? Putain! It should only include poitrine d’porc (pork belly), jarret de porc, saucisse de Toulouse, smoked bacon! You put lamb in yours? Bread crumbs? Zut!
It’s the same debate that occurs with chili in the US. The only authentic chili is made in Texas with chunks of meat and no beans. No, the real chili is made with ground meat and red beans. The same for authentic BBQ recipes. Or pulled pork sandwiches. It should be made with vinegar! No, with tomato sauce!Anyway, Sam’s prep would take days. Not just the cooking but the planning: Everyone bring wine and champagne! Who is bringing the baguettes? The frisée for the salad after the meal? Sam made his mustard and fresh walnut vinaigrette for that. The cheeses? The appetizers? For dessert, he made his famous Tarte Tatin and Tarte au Citron – of course, with homemade pate sablée. We ended the feast with Pruneau eau de vie and Armagnac. It was ‘une grande bouffe’. One year, the restaurant reviewer for The Philadelphia Inquirer asked to come, but at the last minute decided n
ot to as he didn’t want to reveal his identity.
ot to as he didn’t want to reveal his identity. Now that we are in France and have a small apartment, we can only seat a total of 7 for our yearly Cassoulet party. Quel dommage!
Sam buys his duck confit already made as it’s so easy to find. Oui, bien sur, we already have a waiting list! So in the winter of 2019, we set out to find the best pork in Aix-en-Provence. Sourcing is very important to a good Cassoulet. Hands down, people recommended La Maison Olivier. They always had a line out the door, even BL (before lockdown). He went in and the friendly lady behind the counter asked him for his order. Sam in French: ‘I’m making Cassoulet, so, saucisse de Toulouse, poitrine d’porc, jarret de porc. Enough for 7 people and a bit extra, please.’ – ‘We have cooked jarret. How much would you like?’ – ‘I want uncooked jarret, for the bouillon.’ – She smiled, ’Ah, un vrai cassoulet! Bon! Un moment.’ She went into the back to talk to her husband the butcher and came back with a large piece of fresh pig skin or rind (couenne). ‘Line the bottom of the pot with this. It will make the cassoulet even better.’
Since then, we’ve been hooked on the pork from Olivier. Everything we get from there tastes so good, we can’t get buy anywhere else. Every time I walk in I get a big smile from Ev. “Ah, Madame Cassoulet, how are you? What is Monsieur Cassoulet wanting to make for dinner tonight?” she says in French.
Cassoulet is not a dish most people want in the summer heat of Provence (although the Castelnaudary festival does take place at the end of August). So if you’re wondering how it is made you will have to wait until the beginning of winter: Stay tuned for: Monsieur Cassoulet & The Cassoulet Diaries – Part 2
Oh, and you missed Cassoulet 2020 this year which was in February. Sorry, but there’s already a waiting list for 2021!
Chef Sam and Susan
La Maison Olivier does not deliver but with the lockdown, they will prep your order in advance and they will give you a bag already packed. I handed them a check in an envelope and we did the exchange. When I arrived there was actually no one waiting, I was in and out and didn’t touch anything. I had ordered 2 thick pork chops (mostly they are cut really thin here, you have to ask to have thicker ones like we wanted), a rack of ribs, Toulouse sausage, jambon d’os for sandwiches, paté de campagne, brandade de morue, 4 tomatoes farci. I asked her to mark how long each would last or if I should freeze them. Ev was very accommodating and each package had the date I should eat it by or if it was freezable.
La Maison Olivier
Ev (pronounced Eve) et Philippe OLIVIER
They are a married couple, she runs the front and he is the butcher.
26, rue Jacques de la Roque – 13100 – just up the road from the Cathedral St. Saveur
04 42 23 26 80 – www.charcuterie-olivier.fr -also on Facebook
Open until 12:30 Tuesday – Saturday
aixcentric 
where do you find a duck or two in Philadelphia?!
Yes, Jan B., we needed 30 duck legs. Reading Terminal Market or D’artagnan