I am a fan of the French bean stew, cassoulet and when I found out that Dominique’s Kitchen was going to have a cassoulet dinner, I made reservations for a night out with my wife. Dominique’s Kitchen is closed on Tuesdays except when they decide to hold a special event dinner like this.
While some debate about its origin, cassoulet is a classic French dish that has roots to the Languedoc area of Southern France. The ingredients widely vary and are sometimes subject to a healthy debate. The common agreement appears to be that cassoulet is simmered for many hours and contains a variety of meat and haricot blancs (white beans).
Unlike most restaurant special events, this dinner didn’t have prearranged seating times. We were the first to arrive and were warmly greeted with a “Happy New Year” from co-owner Liza Theval.
Potage Garbure served piping hot
Potage Garbure was the first course. This is a soup made with smoked ham hocks and a variety of different vegetables someone would tend to have on hand. Chef Dominique Theval made his with green beans, carrots, peas and ham. It was topped with a baguette with grated cheese and served piping hot. One could make a meal just out of this hearty and delicious soup.
Cassoulet topped with duck confit
The cassoulet was served next and I think we were surprised at the generous serving size. Five different types of French sausage slow cooked with ham and haricot blancs. Place on top of the cassoulet was duck confit. The result is a complex combination of flavors. The duck was lean, tender, moist and full of flavor.
Kouign-Amann was served as a layered cake
Kouign-Amann was the dessert that evening and I’ve had Dominique’s version before. He surprised me by making his own version of this classic puff pastry. This was layered and crispy on the edges. It was surrounded by a delicious crème anglaise sauce. I was happy that I saved room for this!
If you haven’t discovered Dominique’s Kitchen, you owe yourself a visit. This is “Euro French” restaurant focusing on French cuisine but offering other European favorites.
Dominique’s Kitchen, 522 Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
http://dominiqueskitchen.com/
Sounds and looks delicious. I may not be drawn to this type of fair, but it is not beyond my trying it. Thank you for your article and great description of the food, Bryan!
Doug, thanks for your feedback. What type of food are you drawn to and is there a place that you would like me to review?
Bryan