Édouard Manet – Ham, Gruyère, and Moutarde Palmiers

This is my third post to feature a still life by Édouard Manet. As with his still life A Bunch of Asparagus (1880), Manet pays very little attention to composition, and through the placement of the subject in the centre of the canvas he incorporates little else to direct the eye to other areas. This lack of composition was a very contemporary concept in the late 19th century. According to Silvia Malaguzzi in her book Food and Feasting in Art, “At the time of the Romans, the best ham was imported from Goal. French ham can thus boast ancient origins, and for Manet it was a kind of national gastronomic glory” (1). He further glorifies the ham by placing it upon a silver platter, which at that time could only be afforded by the mid- to upper class in Paris.

Palmiers are little cookies made of layers of puff pastry that are then folded to resemble palm leaves. They are baked until the sugar between the layers of buttery pastry become caramelized (or in my case the cheese melts) (2). Although often attributed to the French, the origin of the cookie is unknown, however the tradition of making sweets from many layers of pastry originates in the ancient Middle East. If the palmiers are rolled too tightly the centres do not puff, and if rolled too loosely and baked in an oven that is too hot, the pastry becomes brittle and shatters when picked up (3). It is a relatively simple treat made of very few ingredients but it’s generally through trial and error that one develops the best rolling and slicing technique.

Ham, Gruyère, and Moutarde Palmiers

Palmiers are wonderful as an appetizer or a light breakfast. Will keep 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe was adapted from a dish featured on the American Public Radio Show, The Splendid Table.

Yield: 4 servings

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
12 slices of ham or prosciutto, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 430°F/220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface. Spread the mustard (or moutarde) over the pastry. Sprinkle over the Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano being sure to evenly coat the entire surface. Arrange the ham or prosciutto in a single layer (you may have to cut to fit).

Cut the pastry in half and starting with the short sides, roll each end to the centre turning the pastry into a double scroll. Wet the pastry so the two rolls stick together. Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Slice each roll into 12 individual palmiers, each about 1-inch thick, and arrange on the baking sheet with 1/2 to 1 inch of space between each palmier. Bake until golden, around 10 to 12 minutes.