It is said that this dish comes from Languedoc, taking its name from a glazed earthenware pot “cassole”, narrow at the bottom and widemouthed at the top, from the town of Issel. This dish became special to me when I walked from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, across the Pyrenees. As the trekking was hard, finding a refuge with a cassoulet combined with a glass of wine was the perfect end to the day. This is my version of this dish.

In my late teens / early twenties I went interrailing around Europe. Then taking ferries and sleeping on roof tops and camping on the beach. I survived on little money a two mile walk into town was rewarded with a pork souvlaki in pitta, washed down with a cold beer from the local shop. This is served with Tzatziki, chilli sauce, parsley salad and pitta bread. If you want to cut down on the prep time, you can buy pitta bread and the Tzatziki. See my other recipes for accompaniment’s that complement this simple dish.

There are a lot of myths surrounding this recipe both of the origin of and the contents of the recipe. From American Gl’s calling this a ‘Spaghetti breakfast’ to ‘The Charcoal Makers.’ This is the best one I have come across working with a guy called Martin from Sardinia, it’s so simple, with no cream ! Be careful not to over season with salt, as the Gauncaile and the pecorino are quite salty. I also had basil to the cheese & egg mix.