Cassoulet is one of those humble, storied French dishes I’d heard about for years, researched endlessly, and finally felt brave enough to make my own version of. It became part of a little tradition my husband Anthony and I started last Christmas. We’ve reached that stage in life where finding gifts for each other gets trickier, so instead of buying things, I gave him something we could experience together — a list of twelve countries, each paired with a signature dish.

On the first day of every month, Anthony picks a new country and its dish. So far, it’s been such a joy. In January we made Argentinean Locro, a hearty stew filled with squash and potatoes. February brought Capuns, a Swiss dumpling wrapped in chard leaves. Both were delicious, but March’s dish — Cassoulet — has been the clear favorite.

I watched videos from French chefs, read dozens of recipes, and then adapted everything into a version that works for our kitchen and our rural North Carolina pantry. Some ingredients required a little improvising, but the beans are the heart of the dish, and thankfully those were easy to find on Amazon. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!