Best of 2000: Best Cassoulet

Belgian Lion
2265 Bacon Street, Ocean Beach
(619) 223-2700
Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday

If you remember the Oscar-winning musical Gigi, you will recall that the heroine drops in to taste her grandmother's cassoulet prepared with, among other ingredients, goose. In America we would call it casserole, but the ingredients are so numerous and the preparation so arduous that few attempt it at home. The Belgian Lion creates a memorable cassoulet. Its recipe runs to two and a half pages. The dish consists of lamb, pork, sausage, beans, onions, carrots, celery, herbs d' Provence, garlic. No salt is used because the sausage is salty. If duck confit is available, it's placed in the crock. Cassoulet should never be dry, and the chef has to keep adding liquid. It's a labor-intensive dish, not quite appropriate for Southern California quickie meals. But, especially during cold weather, it's a robust, lusty treat.