Even with all their gourmet and ultra-gourmet cuisine, the French do have a sandwich culture. They eat sandwiches for many of the same reasons Americans do – they’re quick, they’re portable and sometimes, you just don’t need a full fork-and-knife meal. Still, like so many cultures, the French have their way of doing sandwiches.
In last week’s article on fabulous French butter (click here to read), we mentioned the very common but so good sandwich jambon-beurre – the classic ham and butter on baguette. From there, the French might add to it a hard cheese such as emmenthal for an even nuttier flavor. A good American friend of mine who goes regularly to France says the jambon-fromage is his preferred French sandwich – though minus the butter. Nowadays, in addition to these classics, you’ll find a bit more variety including baguette sandwiches with brie cheese, or a mozzarella-tomato combo or a tuna-lettuce-tomato offering. You can buy these baguette sandwiches in France at most boulangeries (bakeries), at open-air markets, and at sandwich stands at train stations, gas stations, airports and special events. They’ll be handed to you wrapped in paper along with one napkin – yes, just one napkin?!
A French sandwich shop at the Gare de Lyon in Paris
At the festive open-air market in Vaison-la-Romaine in Provence a few months ago, I saw an enterprising salami vendor wanting to make his enormous selection of saucissons secs and cured meats more accessible to potential customers. He had lined up mini baguette sandwiches ready to emporter (take away). In addition to a mini jambon-fromage, he had a small salami version so you didn’t even have to wait to get home to cut your own saucisson for a sandwich.
A runner up for my favorite French sandwich would be the traditional but pretty amazing croque-monsieur. What’s not to like about ham, gruyère cheese and béchamel sauce layered on white bread and served piping hot? Accompanied by a small green salad with vinaigrette, the croque-monsieur is perfect lunchtime (and inexpensive) meal option at French cafés and brasseries all over the country.
There are also intriguing variations on the typical croque monsieur. The popular Le Comptoir restaurant in Paris’s 6th arrondissement serves a smoked salmon croque monsieur with a touch of caviar on top. C’est absolument délicieux!
My all time favorite French sandwich, however, would have to be the tartine. The tartine is actually not a specific sandwich but a type of French sandwich. It’s basically an open-face model that can come with a large range of toppings and is served warm. Some think the tartine – note this is not tarte which means “tart” or “pie” in French – hearkens back to an earlier time when people would reheat leftovers by putting them on sliced bread and then toasting or grilling the bread over an open fire. Personally, I find the tartine simple, interesting and maybe a little less heavy since it only has one slice of bread.
In any case, you’ll often see les tartines on casual restaurant menus in Paris and elsewhere. And very often, you’ll see these Parisian establishments touting les tartines served on pain Poilâne. For those not familiar, the Poilâne family bakery is the most famous in Paris and arguably one of the best. (Feel free to click here for a little background on this special boulangerie.) Slices of Poilâne’s large sourdough loaves make a perfect base for tartines.
So it’s no wonder that Poilâne opened a chic little restaurant next to their Left Bank flagship bakery on the rue du Cherche-Midi in the 6th arrondissement featuring les tartines. Called Cuisine de bar, the restaurant is the perfect place to grab a nice but quick lunch in Paris. They offer about 15 different types of tartines – both vegetarian and otherwise – all day until 7pm. And while the French normally eat most everything with a knife and fork, they tell their customers that hands are perfectly ok for tartines. These lunchtime sandwiches are a bargain as well, running from 10 to 15 euros per tartine.
So the next time you’re in Paris or France, forget the American Subway sandwich shops that have invaded Europe and give les tartines a try. Add a nice glass of wine, and they make for a tasty, quick and very French meal. You’re sure to find some with toppings you like and that Poilâne bread in Paris is certainly not to be missed. Bon appétit!
French Take-Out ~ La France à emporter
French tartines are super easy to make at home. For inspiration, the Poilâne bakery has a couple of wonderful little cookbooks for both savory and sweet tartines. I bought both at the Left Bank shop years ago – the savory version is entitled Les Meilleures Tartines de Lionel Poilâne and the sweet one is Les Meilleures Tartines Sucrées de Lionel Poilâne. You can purchase them at the Paris bakeries; there are two other outlets in Paris, one near the Eiffel Tower and one in the Marais. There are also two Poilâne boutiques in London if you happen to be there. Or you can order them online at www.poilane.com. They run about 15 euros apiece. Note that they come in French and English but sometimes stocks run low on either so be sure to inquire. Enjoy!
