Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a slow-baked casserole of white beans with duck, pork and sausage, finished under a browned breadcrumb crust. It comes from France's south-west, and three towns — Castelnaudary, Toulouse and Carcassonne — each claim the authentic version, with a different meat in each.

What it actually is

Dried haricot beans are soaked and simmered, then combined with duck confit, Toulouse sausage and pork belly (or, in the Carcassonne version, mutton) along with onion, garlic and a bouquet garni. The whole thing goes into a cassole — the earthenware dish that gives the recipe its name — and bakes slowly in the oven for hours, so the beans absorb the fat and the meats render down.

Partway through baking, the top crust that forms is broken and pushed back into the beans, then allowed to reform — traditionally seven times. That crust, not the beans underneath, is what a cook is judged on.

How it's served

• In the cassole, straight from the oven, at the table or plated from it.
• With the crust intact on top — breaking it is the diner's job, not the kitchen's.
• On its own, rarely with a side beyond bread; it is already a complete plate.

Writing it on a menu

• Say which meat — duck confit, Toulouse sausage or both — since the three towns' versions genuinely differ and regulars will ask.
• Flag the pork and, if you crust it, the gluten from the breadcrumbs.
• It does not read as light: note that a portion is substantial, closer to a stew than a soup, so guests don't order it expecting a small dish.
• Mention it is slow-cooked, which explains why it isn't a fast order — worth a line if your kitchen takes bookings for it.