Cou de canard farci is the duck neck stuffed with foie gras and pork, simmered then sliced cold or warmed in fat. Reservations recommended in season.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
The cou farci is a peasant charcuterie tradition from the Gers and Landes, using the skin of the duck neck stuffed with the duck's own foie gras, lean pork, lard and seasoning. The dish was a way to use every part of the fattened duck. It is served sliced cold as a starter, or warmed in fat and crisped on a hot pan.
Tip from the editors. Ask your butcher to debone the duck necks; this is the hard part. Submerge fully in fat or the cooking is uneven.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Why locals love it: Saint-Etienne table d'hotes with shared long tables, adopted as a canteen by locals and missed by visitors who stick to Capitole.
Tip: Eat at the long shared tables; bookings essential, the locals adopt it as a canteen.
Le Genty Magre between Esquirol and Capitole is chef Romain Brard's southwestern dining room, winner of the 2023 Toulouse Cassoulet Championship.
Signature: Cassoulet de Toulouse, Bourgeois southwestern menu, Foie gras
Tip: The cassoulet sells in glass jars to take home; book the small inner room for the calmer service.
Restaurant Emile on Toulouse's pedestrian Place Saint-Georges has been the canonical cassoulet address since 1947, with chef Christophe Fasan in charge.
Signature: Cassoulet de Toulouse with confit duck, Magret de canard, Foie gras maison
Tip: Order the cassoulet pre-loaded with confit duck, not the all-pork version; ask for the second-floor terrace table on a warm evening.
More cities are in research. Want cou de canard farci covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.