Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité: French Bistro Classics
Introduction
Today, in the contemporary American imagination, France is often synonymous with fine dining, upscale fashion, and yes—perhaps even a touch of pretentiousness. Think towering soufflés, meticulous sauces, and lavish settings. But the bistro, a staple of French dining culture, defies this notion of excess.
The word "bistro" is believed to have originated from the Russian быстро (bystro, meaning "quickly"). These eateries emerged to serve fast, hearty meals to Russian soldiers occupying France after the Napoleonic Wars. Beyond this, bistros became a community gathering place, where people from all walks of life could come together over simple yet essential culinary pleasures—a tradition that persists to this day.
In honor of this tradition, to represent France, I picked three bistro classics and what better way to celebrate the French bistro than by starting from scratch with an essential ingredient: the ham! I wet-cured my own Parisian ham to give them that extra bit of authenticity.
You can find a version of this with just the recipe cards in a separate blog post!
VIVE LE HAM! Making a Ham Worth Storming the Bastille For
As far as deli meats go, simple ham is often overlooked. American deli ham is generally either dry-cured or smoked, but for jambon de Paris, we want it wet-cured, with a clean, delicate flavor untouched by smoke.
Traditionally, this ham is made from a pork leg, but since those can be tricky to find at a regular grocery store, I opted for a pork shoulder. Aim for a cut between 5 and 15 pounds—just remember that you'll be deboning it later, and the curing process will add some weight as well.
Step 1: Preparing the Brine
Gather your spices:
2 tsp juniper berries
2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
9 whole cloves
2 bay leaves (broken up in pieces)
6 fresh thyme sprigs
Place them in a spice bag (you can buy these cheaply online or make your own from cheesecloth).
Mix kosher salt, pink curing salt, and brown sugar into 4.25 quarts of water.
Bring this to a boil, then add your spice bag and let it steep for about eight hours or overnight.
Step 2: Brining the Pork
Pour the brining solution into a container large enough to fully submerge the pork.
Weigh the pork down to keep it underwater (I used water bottles laid on their sides).
Cover the container tightly with cling wrap to make it airtight.
Cure for 10-12 days (I opted for 10 but may extend to 11-12 next time for a deeper pink color).
Step 3: Cooking the Ham
Soak the cured ham in cool water for about 4 hours to reduce saltiness.
Debone the ham, wrap it tightly in cheesecloth, and secure it with butcher’s twine.
Weigh the ham (mine came out to about six pounds).
Place it in a pot, cover it with water, and bring it to a boil. Discard the water.
Repeat once more, but this time simmer for 20 minutes per pound (mine cooked for 2 hours).
Let it cool slightly, then refrigerate overnight in the cooking liquid.
By the next morning, remove the cheesecloth and twine—et voilà! You have a homemade ham, ready to be sliced and layered into classic French sandwiches.
Liberté: The Croque Monsieur
The Croque Monsieur is, at its core, a ham and cheese sandwich—but not just any ham and cheese. This is one of the richest, most indulgent sandwiches ever created.
Its name, which translates to "Mr. Crunch," dates back to the early 1900s. According to legend, a bistro owner named Michel Lunarca was accused of using human meat in his pork sandwiches. In response, he began calling them croque monsieur satirically. While this story is almost certainly a myth, it makes for an interesting origin tale.
Making the Ultimate Mr. Crunch
Prepare the Béchamel Sauce
Melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat.
Stir in 2 tbsp flour, cook for 2 minutes.
Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk and 1 egg yolk, stirring until smooth.
Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Optional: Add a small amount of grated Parmesan.
Assemble and Toast the Sandwich
Butter the outside of two slices of sourdough bread.
Spread béchamel sauce on the bottom slice.
Add 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of Comté cheese, 1 tbsp Parmesan, and 1 tbsp Gruyère.
Toast in a skillet over medium heat until golden (4 minutes per side).
Final Bake
Spread béchamel sauce on top, sprinkle cheese, and add panko breadcrumbs.
Bake at 425°F for 5-6 minutes, then broil until bubbly.
And with that, Mr. Crunch is ready to be devoured!
Égalité: The Jambon Beurre
Jambon Beurre translates to "Ham-Butter," and that’s exactly what it is: ham and butter on a fresh baguette. Its creation was of pure utility, with working class Parisians quickly assembling this from easy to find ingredients in the 18th century before heading to work (with lard back then instead of butter). However, despite being so simple, it is popular. Over 3 million a day of these are sold in France, which is more than any other sandwich in the country except, perhaps, the hamburger. It is popular in its original form, but can often be found with cheese and mustard as well. I will admit I was skeptical of such a simple sandwich, so I tried it both ways. I made my own shallot butter, and tried it with just that and my homemade Parisian ham, and then I tried it after adding Swiss and dijon mustard. I must say, I actually think I enjoyed it without potentially even better! The shallot butter added a very nice flavor, that complemented the ham very well. The mustard and swiss added a very nice sharpness.
Making the Shallot Butter
Melt 1 tsp salted butter in a skillet.
Sauté 1 minced shallot for 3-5 minutes.
Mix the cooked shallots with 1 stick softened unsalted butter, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
Stir in 1 tsp finely chopped parsley.
Roll into a log with parchment paper and freeze. Thaw before use.
Assembling the Sandwich
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Halve a baguette and toast for 5 minutes.
Generously spread shallot butter on both halves.
Lay down a few slices of homemade Parisian ham.
Close the sandwich and enjoy!
Then it is time to enjoy!
Fraternité: The French Onion Soup
Onion soup has been a staple in France since Roman times. Initially though, it was considered a dish for the poor, as onions were cheap and plentiful. But, it didn’t bear much resemblance to the dish we see today. This changed when King Louis XV’s father in law enjoyed some at a local inn, and brought a recipe back to the royal court for “Peasant style onion soup”, and it soon gained a reputation as a hangover cure amongst the upper classes. Onion soup with grated cheese soon became available at open air Parisian markets, truly becoming a dish enjoyed by all classes. It is very much a sort of national soup for France, and thus is essential to include here.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
3 tbsp butter
5-6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
6 cups beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
For the Topping:
1 baguette, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
¼ cup grated Gruyère
¼ cup shredded Asiago
¼ cup shredded Swiss cheese
Chopped parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
Caramelize the Onions
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté for about 30 minutes, stirring more frequently as they cook to prevent burning.
Once caramelized, add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Simmer the Soup
Stir in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and fresh thyme.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes to develop flavor.
Prepare the Baguette
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes until golden brown.
Set aside.
Assemble & Broil
Switch the oven to broiler mode.
Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls.
Place a toasted baguette slice on top of each bowl and cover with the grated cheese mixture.
Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Serve & Enjoy
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Bon appétit!
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