French · Lunch & handhelds

Jambon-beurre

Name: Jambon-beurre
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 same-day traditional baguettes; 8 tablespoons high-fat cultured unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or fine sea salt; 12 ounces jambon de Paris or thinly sliced unsmoked cooked ham; 12 small cornichons, chilled

The Parisian essential: crackling same-day baguette, a generous cool layer of salted cultured butter, and silky folds of mild jambon de Paris.

About 25 minTotal

About 10 minActive

$$Cost

EasyDifficulty

Makes 4 sandwiches

Equipment

Any medium bowl with room to whisk without splashing works here.
Best steady grip
OXO Good Grips Stainless Mixing Bowl Set
View at Amazon
Best value with lids
Cuisinart Stainless Mixing Bowls with Lids
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Any medium bowl with room to whisk without splashing works here.
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How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared stainless mixing-bowl sets for stability while whisking, useful size range, nesting, lids, durability, and cleaning. Hands-on comparisons informed the fit labels; manufacturer specifications established the exact sets. Kwilt has not used these bowls.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Mixing Bowl Set: The grippy bases help a bowl stay planted while one hand whisks and the other adds dashi or seasoning. Trade-off: The thicker insulated construction costs more and nests less compactly than plain stainless restaurant-style bowls.
Cuisinart Stainless Mixing Bowls with Lids: Three durable sizes and fitted lids make the set useful for prep and storage without paying for a specialized base. Trade-off: The plain stainless bottoms do not grip the counter, so a damp towel may help when whisking vigorously.
Another workable path: Any clean medium bowl with enough room to beat the eggs without splashing will work. A pouring lip or nonslip base is helpful, not required.
Sources
Reviewed hands-on comparison
America's Test Kitchen bowl review
Professional baker recommendations

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 sandwiches

2 same-day traditional baguettes
8 tablespoons high-fat cultured unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or fine sea salt
12 ounces jambon de Paris or thinly sliced unsmoked cooked ham
12 small cornichons, chilled

Instructions

Let butter soften only until spreadable but still cool, about 15 minutes. ; do not whip air into it.
Cut each baguette crosswise in half, then split lengthwise without severing the hinge. Pull out only any dense central ridge of crumb, preserving the airy interior and crisp shell.
Spread butter generously and evenly on both cut faces, all the way to the edges. Arrange ham in loose ruffled folds so it is tender to bite and distributed evenly.
Close without pressing. Serve immediately with three cold cornichons alongside each sandwich; do not refrigerate the assembled baguettes.

Paris, FranceFrench café and boulangerie cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Jambon-beurre, also called a parisien, is defined by three things: a same-day baguette, cool cultured butter, and mild thinly sliced cooked French ham.

Jambon-beurre, also called a parisien, is defined by baguette, butter, and mild cooked French ham. Cornichons are served alongside rather than used to complicate the sandwich. With only three core ingredients, freshness and proportion are the entire technique. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Keep the sandwich rigorously minimal and move cornichons to the side, investing recipe detail in temperature, proportion, and immediate service.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe