French Ham Sandwich

I recently was about to take a road trip with some friends when we stopped in a deli for some sandwiches to bring along. The orders were turkey, roast beef, Swiss cheese, etc.  Everyone asked for mayo on their sandwiches except me. I got mustard.  When I was growing up in New York the delis were either Italian or Jewish and the choice of condiment on your sandwich was either mustard or no mustard. Mayo wasn’t a choice. I still prefer mustard and wouldn’t consider mayo. I guess it all depends on what you’re used to.

I used to live near a great German restaurant called the Bavarian Inn. The kitchen closed at 11pm but they continued to make sandwiched until 1am. No matter what sandwich you ordered, the bread was buttered. If you wanted mustard, you got that too. Mayo wasn’t a choice. So, it’s mustard for Italian and Jewish sandwiches and the addition of butter the German ones. Now let’s get to French sandwiches. I recently read an article by Florence Fabricant. It was all about a classic and simple sandwich consisting of bread, ham, and butter or jambon beurre — ham on a buttered baguette.

It made me hungry and reminded me of my Bavarian Inn sandwiches, so I tried it.  Ham, baguette and butter, no mustard, and it was terrific.

The foundation of any exceptional sandwich lies in the quality of its ingredients. For the perfect French Ham Sandwich, start with a crusty baguette. Get the ham freshy sliced at your local deli. I prefer BoarsHead Brand, and finish it with unsalted or salted butter, it’s up to you.

Florence Fabricant‘s The Proustian Ideal of a Ham Sandwich

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