When people ask me what type of cuisine I enjoy, French is usually part of the conversation. It wasn’t until we had a family vacation to France that I really began to appreciate the French people’s dedication towards preparing good food.
When I received an email that Dominique Kitchen was to have a cassoulet dinner, I quickly made reservations for two. It was an opportunity to relive the memory of eating this delicious dish back when we were vacationing in the French Pyrenees.
Cassoulet is a stew from the former Languedoc region of France. It was originally considered to be peasant food made with beans, meat and sausages. Now cassoulet is served at some of the finest French bistros in LA, Chicago and New York City.
Cassoulet is the perfect winter dish. It’s extremely hearty and is meant to be served during the cold winter months. While the ingredients vary depending on the region, the main flavor consists of a fine marriage of cured meat, a good stock and white beans.
A bowl of Potage Garbure was the first dish served. This hearty soup was comprised of potatoes, smoked ham, cabbage, carrots, haricot vert, celery and onions and topped with a crostini and shredded cheese. The broth was extremely tasty and quite filling. It was almost a meal in itself.
Cassoulet with duck confit was served on top of a sizable bed of smoked ham, Toulouse sausage, smoked Polish sausage and white beans. The duck simply fell off the bone and the combination of smoke, sausage and duck was simply a wonderful taste experience.
A beautifully presented vol au vent with blackberry compote with grand marnier mousseline rounded out the evening. The vol au vent was warm and very flakey; it reminded me of eating pastry made with filo dough. The blackberry compote was fruit forward and not too sweet. The addition of the grand marnier mousseline gave the dessert some creaminess and it was a very nice balance to the compote.
Dominique’s Kitchen continues to impress me by offering quality at an affordable price point. In addition, their service is attentive and friendly which rounds out the overall experience. My wife and I look forward to our next event at Dominique’s Kitchen.
- 522 S Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277; (424) 247-9054
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