Cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat, pork skin and white beans. The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole, a deep, round, earthenware pot with slanting sides.

But to truly understand the essence of the “holy trinity” of Cassoulet and its importance to the people of the region it’s best to read from the author of the Larousse Gastronomique, Carcassonne native Prosper Montagné, who, in his 1929 “Le Festin Occitan,” proclaimed, “Cassoulet is the God of the Occitan cuisine. The Castelnaudary version is God the Father, the Carcassonne recipe is God the Son, and the Toulousain is the Holy Spirit.”

Comte Roger restaurant, situated in the heat of the citadel, is owned and operated by Chef Pierre Mesa, and assisted by his wife Sylvie. Comte Roger has been recognised by the major guides of France for its excellent cuisine and impressive wine cellar.

Chef Mesa pays homage to Cassoulet by lovingly preparing his brand of cassoulet that brings to the mind bouquets of forests, meadows and succulent meats. All this served in clay bowls containing beans cooked to perfection, tender but still holding their own, dotted with rosemary, thyme and parsley. Duck confit, chewy and silky, mixed with chunks of braised pork and a fatty and delicious membrane known as “couenne.”