Notes from a French Kitchen

by Marie-Christine Perry

One of the joys of winter for me is soup! From fragrant and creamy tomato and basil soup to the classic potato leek; from hearty minestrone to bacon-scented pumpkin; from thick and spicy black bean soup to clear chicken broth with vermicelli, I can cook all different kinds of bouillons, soupes and potages and make a meal with any of them, accompanied by a crusty sourdough and sweet butter. Greens in vinaigrette, a chunk of cheese and a glass of red wine round out the meal.

Perhaps the most French of winter soups is soupe à l’oignon gratinée. This conjures up late evenings among friends when, after generous libations, the host or hostess suddenly declares, How about onion soup? A couple of guests crowd the kitchen, and while onions are sliced and Comté cheese grated, the sourdough bread grilling in the oven sends its aroma throughout the apartment. More wine is passed around, and soon the heavenly smell penetrates our very pores. The soup is finally served, with the sourdough to soak up the broth and a crust of cheese gracing the top of the traditional little lion-head tureens. The silence is broken only by the clicking of spoons on bowls. This is the crowning glory of winter entertainment!
The other intense winter food pleasure in Languedoc is cassoulet, which in its authentic form bears little resemblance to the pale versions offered here. My great-grandmother’s cassoulet slowly underwent a magical transformation on a corner of her woodstove, cooking for three full days in its earthenware vessel, the cassole. Haricots blancs tarbais (white beans from Tarbes), homemade duck confit, Toulouse sausage, a nice chunk of pork belly and the butt of a prosciutto-style smoked ham melded their flavors with carrots, a tomato or two, abundant duck fat, garlic, broth, a little red wine and a bouquet garni of thyme, bay leaf and parsley. When a skin rose to the surface, it was pushed back down, as many times as necessary.

The resulting stew—complex, creamy, fragrant—elevated beans to royal rank and was served with much care in her best transferware dishes, reserved for special occasions. Pommes landaises (sautéed garlic potatoes) are the perfect accompaniment to cassoulet, and for the wine, a red Cahors, with an aroma of raspberries and violets, will do nicely.
Paula Wolfert offers a workable version of cassoulet toulousain in “Cooking from South-West France,” and duck confit and duck fat can be found at D’Artagnan’s (dartagnan.com), a company based in New Jersey and owned by Ariane Daguin, whose father, André Daguin, chef-owner of the Hotel de France in Auch, Gascony, is famous throughout France for his renderings of foie gras and other Gascon specialties. Some D’Artagnan products can be found at Guido’s and Big Y.

This exceptional meal can end royally with some aged Armagnac.

Bon appétit!