RICHARD: Dinner was lovely, Emily.
EMILY: Mira does make a perfect cassoulet.
Cassoulet is a rich slow-cooked casserole originating from the Languedoc in the South of France made with white beans, duck or goose, pork sauages, and sometimes other meats such as pork or mutton. It is named after the cassole it is cooked in – a deep round cooking pot.
In America, cassoulet is often used to mean any hearty bean-based meat casserole. It is unclear which type the Gilmores are eating, but I’d like to think the cosmopolitan Richard and Emily would insist upon an authentic cassoulet on their table.
The Annotated Gilmore Girls 