Cassoulet

Cassoulet, the hearty traditional beans-with-meat dish of provincial France, is subject to much variation and endless Gallic dispute like the recipes for Boston baked beans, a "true" clam chowder, or the pemmican of the American Indians. Some, for example, insist that goose is essential. Feel free to experiment, but the important thing is not to hurry the dish, a meal-in-itself aromatic delight that often takes three days of leisurely country cooking in France. Our adaptation for the clay p