» » Manet's Ham, Gruyère, and Moutarde Palmiers

Posted on 8/05/2009
16 comments

Manet's Ham, Gruyère, and Moutarde Palmiers

When I was a child my hatred for mustard was very well-known. My brother used to torment me by putting it on my bedroom door knob so the smell would be on my hands. It was not until I moved to London and discovered the seeded variety (I only knew of the yellow American kind) that I became obsessed in a good way. At one point I had seven different jars in my fridge (see photo at the bottom of post). I am always looking for new recipes that feature mustard and so I was quite pleased when I stumbled upon this little gem. I made the palmiers for breakfast and they disappeared very quickly. My mother is adverse to mustard (I wonder where I got it from...) and so I made an additional batch with just the ham and cheese which were just as good (but not better!). They would also make a great bite-size appetizer as they are not too filling.

Edouard Manet, The Ham, 1875
oil on canvas, 13 x 16 cm, The Glasgow Museum

This is my third post to feature a still life by Manet, which is appropriate because this is a post about my mustard obsession which is akin to my Manet obsession. As with his still life A Bunch of Asparagus, 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 the 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). The ham is further glorified through its placement upon a silver platter which at that time could only be afforded by the mid to upper class in Paris.

The perfect cheese for an art/food lover...Vincent Aged Dutch Cheese!

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 to tightly the centres do not puff and if rolled too loosely and baked in an oven that is too hot the layers of pastry become brittle and shatter when picked up (3). It is a relatively simple treat made of very few ingredients but it's generally through trial and error that the best rolling and slicing technique is developed.

palmier

{Ham, Gruyère, and Moutarde Palmiers}
adapted from The Splendid Table

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 TB mustard (I prefer seeded)
1 c Gruyère cheese, grated
1/4 c Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
12 slices of ham or prosciutto

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).

Top the pastry with a layer of parchment paper and compress with a rolling pin. 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.

Heat the oven to 220C and line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice each roll into 12 individual palmiers and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until golden, around 10 to 12 minutes.

the mustard collection in my London fridge

16 Responses to Manet's Ham, Gruyère, and Moutarde Palmiers

  1. Anonymous
    August 5, 2009 at 10:52 AM
    Apparently the trauma your brother inflicted has not jaded you for life as you now love mustard. Please do not try to sneak any into recipes while I am here...
  2. Chou
    August 5, 2009 at 11:54 AM
    These are wonderful sounding palmiers. I'm going to have to go find some puff pastry.
  3. OohLookBel
    August 5, 2009 at 1:40 PM
    Gosh, your palmiers are so cute - the mustard would definitely bring out the flavour. I might give this a try tonight, so thanks for the inspiration.
  4. shaz
    August 5, 2009 at 10:25 PM
    These sound like more elegant and yummier versions of ham and cheese croissants! Very cute rolls.
  5. liz {zested}
    August 5, 2009 at 10:33 PM
    Those are absolutely gorgeous, and I love the painting as well. The story about your brother is hilarious!
  6. art and lemons
    August 6, 2009 at 6:17 AM
    I like how your palmiers mimic the the layers in Manet's Ham. Mustard and Manet, there is so much to love about both!
  7. michaela
    August 6, 2009 at 9:20 AM
    those palmiers look magnificent!
  8. JoRoFi
    August 7, 2009 at 6:46 AM
    those look mighty tasty. you can't go wrong with ham and cheese!
  9. dessert girl
    August 8, 2009 at 9:19 AM
    Very pretty! And the cheese couldn't be any more perfect!
  10. Tres Jolie Studios
    August 10, 2009 at 9:47 AM
    Thanks everyone. Belle did a version on her site so check it out for some more photos of delicious palmiers.

    @art and lemons: i love the idea of layers in both! I didn't see them until your comment.

    @shaz: they are a bit like croissants but a bit less flaky. The French do not mess around!!

    @liz: my brother finds himself very funny and although I can forgive him now due to my mustard love, I was pretty angry at the time and in retaliation I sprayed all of his clothes with my perfume so he would smell like a girl.

    @dessert girl: I have a thing for burnt cheese so I was quite pleased with the results!

    @Julie and JoRoFi: xoxo

    @chou and michaela: thanks!!
  11. Rosa's Yummy Yums
    August 10, 2009 at 7:13 PM
    What delicious looking palmiers! So pretty too!

    Cheers,

    Rosa
  12. Lisa
    August 10, 2009 at 8:27 PM
    I used to hate mustard also, until I discovered all the amazing types of mustards out there..from whole grain, to super spicy to flavored etc - not to mention learning to make my own to my liking using mustard seeds of different varieties. Funny story about your brother putting it on the door knob!!

    Those palmiers are gorgeous and they look incredibly flaky and delicious (ham and cheese, in any form, baked into a pastry or bread, is mmmmm)). Yet another bookmark! Can't wait to try them!
  13. Julia @ Mélanger
    August 10, 2009 at 8:47 PM
    Ohhh, with the puff pastry I just made, I was thinking of making some palmiers. Maybe I should do a savoury version like this?? Was originally thinking cinnamon??!!!! Hmmmmmm, tough choice!
  14. Tres Jolie Studios
    August 10, 2009 at 9:01 PM
    Thanks Rosa!

    @Lisa, I am especially smitten with sun-dried tomato mustard. I love the idea of making my own, I have a recipe I am working on for the site and I hope to have it up soon!

    @Julia, I am so impressed!!! You make your own puff pastry. Wow, from what I know it is very very time consuming. I can't wait to see your results.
  15. Olga
    August 11, 2009 at 1:48 AM
    that looks like such an impressive dish, but yet such an easy recipe!!!
  16. Erica W.
    October 22, 2009 at 12:17 PM
    I've been admiring these for a while and last night I finally got the chance to try them out. They were absolutely amazing and a huge hit!

    Gorgeous photograph and awesome recipe ♥

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