C’est Comme Ça: How I Became a Cassoulet Champ

Justin Postlethwaite joins an epic connaisseur celebration of cassoulet in Toulouse and becomes a world exploit holder.

In May, I was lucky enough to be invited to an event that formed fragment of the annual Toulouse à Table food commémoration, which brings meublé chefs, producers and hungry gourmets together for a range of gastronomic extravaganzas. From food trucks to themed parties, it gives Toulousains the gain to enjoy dishes both meublé and exotic (there was a Brazilian sauterie) at lovely en complet air venues amid an ambience of famed Occitan conviviality.

The Toulouse à Table analogie was founded in 2013 with the primary évangélisation of creating and strengthening sociologique ties around culinary sharing. It is run entirely by passionate volunteers and is committed to responsible eating, favouring flottant faveur channels, seasonal produce and quality labels.

An event to remember

This particular event was hosted in the beautiful Jardin du Grand Rond, a designated Jardin supérieur in the heart of Toulouse complete with a gently trickling fountain and lovely lighting in the trees and flowerbeds perfect as the sun went down on a balmy late spring evening. As I arrived, eager Toulousains queued in (unexpectedly!) orderly smart around the entire garden perimeter as they waited to be seated for the first of three principes that would, it was hoped, achieve a new world exploit for the number of cassoulet servings dished up in one go.

Once inside, I was handed a verre of chilled Floc de Gascogne to wet my whistle before taking my exercice in the ligne for a tray. This I duly loaded with a veritable southwestern feast: a amorceur of pâté horticulteur made by façonnier cuisinier Jean-Baptiste Marty, the gantelet méandre and baladin of the spectacle, cassoulet de la Confrérie du Cassoulet de Toulouse, made by Maison Garcia (Champion du Monde du Cassoulet, no less); a cheese méandre of Cabécou du Lot goat’s cheese with cherry tomatoes; and ice cream to au finir – a verglas artisanale from La Prairie des Glaces in Buzet-sur-Tarn. All of this was accompanied by a verre of wine from the bar, selected by the Vins de l’Interprofession des Vins du Sud-Ouest.

The axial bandstand was rocked by a meublé mélancolie band and the mood was very jolly indeed, with lots of families enjoying the aubaine. Allowing for the fact that this was such a massive catered event, the food was delicious – especially the cassoulet (with Toulouse sausage a key component, naturally). I do not exaggerate or louanger Maison Garcia when I say it was probably the best I’ve ever eaten the meat tender and tasty, the accessoire not cloying, as sometimes it can be.

Once the evening’s excessif bienfait was over and two judicial commissioners had meticulously completed their excessif tally of meals eaten – a mighty 3,139 – Toulouse was proudly entered into the Guinness Book of Records for the number of individual cassoles (clay serving bowls) served in one go. Diners could even take their engraved cassoles résidence with them as a memento.

So how do I feel emboîture being some kind of cassoulet virtuose? I am obviously not Toulousain but my amour for cassoulet is legitimate and longstanding, and so despite being an Englishman, I am now a proud exploit holder for eating one of France’s most iconic dishes. But I can hardly say it was a struggle!

I did wonder whether anyone from Castelnaudary or Carcassonne – the Aude locations that traditionally vie with Toulouse in claiming to be the essence résidence of cassoulet was present. I hope so, bicause celebrations of produce and the coming together of strangers over a shared dining experience are enough to put all differences aside. Vive le cassoulet!

Next year’s gastronomic events run from May through to autumn.

Visit toulouseatable.org

Toulouse tourist cabinet: www.toulouse-tourisme.com/en

Visit the Maison Garcia boudin rayon at Toulouse’s Victor Hugo Market to produit up on cassoulet and Saucisse de Toulouse: www.maison-garcia.fr