Chi Spacca Cassoulet Pop-up

[mrgreenbeenz]

Went to the Chi Spacca Cassoulet pop-up by Chef David Campigotto from Chez David in Castelnaudry FR. I make a few cassoulets during football season but lean into the peasant aspect of it so don’t spend up on saussicon and duck confit and am more likely to use pork necks and kielbasa. However, I wanted to have a taste of the real deal and this was it.

Outside of pork ribs, duck confit and some homemade sausage there wasn’t much flavor besides garlic. That was the only vegetable according to the chef and I didn’t pick up any herbs. Flavor-wise it was almost overt in its restraint - a weird thing to say about a cassoulet. Also very unsalty - which was a surprise for me since I usually cook down a mirepoix in salt pork to get started. Maybe I shouldn’t.

Crudite and a well-dressed endive salad to start. The cassoulet had a beautifully burnt crust and the meat and beans are in separate layers in the cassole. Six hours cooking. Beans were soft but hadn’t started to break down yet. The sausage was the tastiest meat in there. They offered seconds - we quickly assented. A nice creme de catalane served for dessert.

I did not need any dinner later. Tix still available for this evening.

[hungryhungryhippos]

Please provide your cassoulet recipe it sounds better than what they were making!

[mrgreenbeenz]

Mine’s a godawful salty mess by comparison. I render out some salt pork and brown my meats then cook a mirepoix to start. Maybe fry up some tomato paste, might even throw in half can of tomatoes. Add homemade chicken stock - no sense going to all that work and fuck it up with swanson’s - then bouquet garni with peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf and parsley.

Put in the beans bring to simmer on stove, add meats (on-bone pork, two kinds of sausage), laying either two full chicken legs or duck legs on top. Confit is too expensive if you haven’t already laid up some yourself - it contravenes the simple nature of the dish to spend $18 on some single prepackaged stringy duck confit leg. The crispy skin on the fowl legs will create a ‘crust’ of sorts. I don’t use a cassoule so never get the superb crust but don’t feel like adding bread crumbs does much either.

Move to oven and cook for three or four hours. Might need to crack the crust and let liquid over it once or twice to build up a top layer, make sure it’s not drying out, add water or stock if it is.

[honkman]

@mrgreenbeenz

it contravenes the simple nature of the dish to spend $18 on some single prepackaged

If you have a sous vide you can very easily make duck confit at home without lots of duck fat

[hungryhungryhippos]

Thanks appreciate your recipe! Sounds pretty straight forward I’ll have to try it out!

[ebethsdad]

Kenji has a really good recipe, Traditional French Cassoulet Recipe . He uses chicken instead of duck. When I make it I use both making duck confit the way @honkman suggests.

[Nemroz]

Awesome! Best we’ve had was at a Goose farm outside of Sarlat, Dordogne. 4 meat components, all from goose. Of course with fois

[ebethsdad]

Food and beauty in the Dordogne are superb. We ate at a goose farm just outside Marquay. Don’t have a picture but here is a shot of our favorite restaurant in Les Eyzies.

[aaqjr]

Holy cow you and @Nemroz wow. We are going to be getting some real weather for this dish too over the next week lol

[NewTrial]

LQ has its annual cassoulet meal available for delivery starting this week–a bargain at $69:

Cassoulet Menu 1st round of 2025 very limited!
A Taste of Comfort and Tradition

Please Note:
There will be no deliveries on November 2nd and November 9th.
We apologize for the inconvenience — deliveries will resume on November 16th.

Thanksgiving Boxes & Foie Gras Torchon — Pre-Order Now!

Our Thanksgiving Boxes and Foie Gras Jars/Torchons are now available for pre-order.

• All boxes are individually packed.

• For larger groups, we’re happy to prepare packed trays—just email us at LQ@bistrolq.com.

• Don’t miss out—place your orders soon

Delivery Schedule: Limited deliveries: Morning of November 26th Full deliveries: Morning of November 27th

Cheese Club Update
Our November Cheese Club delivery will be on Sunday, November 23rd, so you can enjoy exceptional cheeses for the holiday. (Please note: no delivery on the 2nd Sunday of November.)

“Le Bag” is Back — Cassoulet Season Begins!

Yes, Le Bag returns next weekend with the first Cassoulet of the season, delivering Sunday, November 16th.
Let us know if you’d like it packed sous vide for longer shelf life — and yes, a seafood option is also available!

The Menu

First Course
Fall salad with frisée, endive, and radicchio, tossed with St. Agur cheese, roasted pecans, and persimmons, finished with a pomegranate–champagne vinaigrette.

Main Course
Our traditional Cassoulet — tarbais beans slow-baked with duck leg confit, homemade saucisse de Toulouse, saucisson à l’ail, confit pork belly, and lamb shoulder. Cooked for six hours with aromatics, garlic, tomatoes, and duck gelée.

Dessert
A rich Chocolate Marquise with a hint of orange zest, served with espresso crème anglaise — an indulgent finale to this comforting fall menu.

Your Support Means Everything
Every order truly makes a difference. Whether you’ve joined Le Cheese Club, shared our menus with friends, or simply enjoyed a cozy delivery at home — your support keeps our kitchen alive and inspired.

If you love what we do, help us grow! Share our menus, spread the word, or reach out if you’re craving something special — we always love hearing from you.

Delivery Date: Sunday, November 16th
Don’t miss out — place your order today!

Thank you for supporting our kitchen and allowing us to keep doing what we love.

---

Order here or feel free to contact us prior your purchase as well at lq@bistrolq.com

Cassoulet Bag includes the following:

Heating Instructions

Bordier Butter - Bread

FIRST COURSE: FALL GREENS TO INCLUDE RADDICHIO, ENDIVE, FRISEE, GARNISH WITH PERSIMMONS, POMEGRANATE, ROQUEFORT CHEESE, HERBS AND CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR DRESSING, ROASTED PECANS

MAIN COURSE CASSOULET: TARBAIS BEANS, AROMATICS, GARLIC, TOMATOES BRAISED WITH CONFIT DUCK LEG, GARLIC SAUSAGE, TOULOUSE SAUSAGE, CONFIT PORK BELLY, LAMB SHOULDER FOR 6 HOURS

SEAFOOD CASSOULET AVAILABLE

DESSERT: CHOCOLATE MARQUISE

$69.00 per person/bag

[ebethsdad]

The Dordogne is an incredible region. I hope you make it there.

If you do I have to warn you about French lunches. If you are not careful, and who can be when you are first presented with impossibly rich fare served with the best bread you have ever had, dinner that night will have to be canceled. You don’t want to miss the cassoulet, but if you make the mistake I did you can have it the next night.

French peasant cuisine is undervalued. From the Dordogne’s cassoulet, to Alsatian choucroute garnie, to a Provencal grand aioli it is some of the world’s best. Not usually a fan of haute cuisine, but on our honeymoon we had a fresh black truffle wrapped in bacon, and encased in puff pastry. It was served with Sauce Perigreux. I think it was the best thing I have ever tasted.

I hope Chi Spacca decides to feature some more of these wonderful dishes!

[Nemroz]

ya it’s crazy.. i want to go back now. found the pic.

[J_L]

@NewTrial

LQ has its annual cassoulet meal available for delivery starting this week

Chef Laurent Quenioux (LQ) represents OG French cheffing. I trust his dishes.

[mrgreenbeenz]

I had the LQ cassoulet as delivery a couple years ago and can confirm its delicious. Definitely a more maximalist approach.

[robert]

@ebethsdad

French peasant cuisine is undervalued.

By ignoramuses!