In “The Raw and the Cooked,” Claude Levi-Strauss speaks of cured pork products as the food of the working class. It is true that hams, saucissons, and patés are some of the most affordable, delicious, and quintessentially French products around. They are particularly delicious if you buy them from the boucheries charcuterie, which exist as both stores and market stands. The people who run probably hate me, because I usually get about four different things in small quantities: a few inches of boudin noir, a little lump of rillettes, a single slice of ham à l’os, or six whisper-thin slices of red-white rosette de lyon. Or maybe a plump boudin blanc, several robust slices of peppery smoked lardons, or a schmear of duck liver mousse. Sometimes I walk away with more paper than meat.
These fatty, salty, savoury delights stud my meals with flavor throughout the week. They give me some (if not all) of the satisfaction of eating larger portions of uncured meat. It’s amazing how one slice of bacon or one slice of ham can permeate a simple preparation with the soul-satisfying, faintly sweet, and certainly salty flavors of pork.
The following two recipes are very simple. My way of making pasta à la carbonara is certainly not traditional, but I like it. It’s a standby dish for me, because I always have bacon or one of its relatives in my fridge along with cream, eggs, and parmesan.
Pasta a la Carbonara
I call the second recipe a “Croque Mademoiselle” because it is an oven-less, young-working-girl’s version of the Croque Madame. Rather than top the ham and cheese sandwich with béchamel and broiling it, I just put some béchamel inside the sandwich and cook it stovetop. I also often use mayonnaise instead of bechamel, because sometimes I’m just too lazy to make the latter.
Pasta à la Carbonara
Serves 1
2 oz. of dry linguini
1 thick slice of smoked bacon/lardons/pancetta, cubed
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 egg yolk
2 tbs. white wine
3 tbs. cream
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
To garnish: chopped parsley or minced chive
Cracked pepper and salt
Possible additions: peas, sautéed mushrooms, spinach
1) Boil the pasta in generously salted water until tender but still toothsome.
2) Meanwhile, in a separate pan, cook the bacon on medium heat until it is golden and crisp. Add the shallot and about 1 minute later, add the garlic. Stir the contents of the pan to combine, and cook just enough to soften the shallots, but do not let the garlic color.
3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the white wine, cream, and egg yolk.
4) When the pasta is done, pour it into a colander. Let it drain, but do not shake the colander. You want some water to stay caught between the noodles, as this will contribute to the ‘sauciness’ of the finished pasta.
5) Quickly pour the linguini over the bacon mixture. With the heat off, pour in the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. The residual heat from the pan and heat of the pasta will cook the egg yolk just enough to thicken it, but not so much that it turns into “scrambled eggs.” Add most of the parmesan and generously sprinkle with black pepper (I like a lot of black pepper here). It will probably be salty enough, but check for seasoning here.
6) Serve/ eat immediately, sprinkled with the remaining parmesan and herbs if you have any.
Croque Mademoiselle
2 tbs. béchamel* OR 2 tsp. mayonnaise
2 thin slices of pain au levain
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 oz. comté, gruyére, or beaufort, sliced
1 large slice rostello ham (a beautiful French, marbled ham with lots of herbs, but any cured meat would do)
1 tbs. + 1 tsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
1 egg
1) Spread 2 slices of pain au levain with mayonaisse or with bechamel, and add the mustard to one side.
2) Layer the ham and cheese on the sandwich.
3) Heat 1 tbs. butter and 1 tsp. olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook the sandwich for about 3 minutes, until golden on one side, and then flip it. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted and both sides are crusty and golden.
4) Put the sandwich on the plate so that you can fry the egg in the same pan. Add the remaining butter and olive oil. Increase the heat to medium-high, and fry the egg to your liking. I recommend a runny yolk! Season with salt and pepper, put atop the sandwich, and enjoy.
*Béchamel: Heat about 4 tbs. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it has melted, add about 3 tbsp. of flour. Cook this mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t color. Gradually whisk in about 1 ¼ cup whole milk. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that the mixture is thick. It should not have browned at all, and it should not have any lumps. Season with salt, and with a bit of cracked paper and nutmeg if you’d like.
A Peasant in Paris 