mardi 6 avril 2010

Keith Floyd's take on Toulouse Cassoulet

Keith Floyd is by far the only foreign cook to do a version of the regional dish Cassoulet and get away with it so brilliantly.
Or "was" I should say, sadly Keith Floyd has left us, but at the moment there is no one brave enough to repeat this challenge so Keith Floyd is still the hero.

Cassoulet is a white bean dish, usual cooked for days. Every family keeps its own recipe jealously, much like the spot where they find wild mushrooms. So imagine for a moment a Briton taking up the challenge to cook a fantastic cassoulet on the "pelouse" of the Stade Toulousain Giving the Toulousains a beating on their own field!

At the introduction of the video Mr Floyd is at Place du Capitole, you could have seen him from a corner rooms of Le Grand Balcon Hotel. Then he visits the nearby market Victor Hugo to pick up the local ingredients. The cooking takes place on the Rugby field in camping-like conditions but in style with the mandatory glass of wine: a Fronton rosé. In no time (under 3 hours) and enormous lightness the Man cooks what is known as a heavy dish. And single handedly tackles 15 tough diners from the best rugby team in France (had to say that if I ever want to set foot again in Toulouse!)
Leaving the viewers mouthwatering licking the screen for some scraps. If you don't want to humiliate yourself drooling at a computer screen you could try cooking it yourself and make others drool. Keith Floyd makes it look so easy. But don't forget to drink a glass of wine while doing so: it's the secret ingredient!



See also Hotel Le Grand Balcon on Foursquare