Monday, April 5, 2021

Bread and Butter is a fun and yet deeply satisfying presentation of the illustrious and unctuous treat of roasted bone marrow. Roast the marrow in the traditional French style, with salt, shallots and cognac. Once deep brown and tender, puree the marrow in a blender until smooth and pass through a fine chinois. Use a small offset spatula to neatly place the mixture in a butter ramekin. Cut quarter-inch slices of Pain de mie—a bread very similar to a Pullman loaf—into triangles, and toast in a pan with some butter until golden brown and crunchy on the outside, and smooth on the inside. Tuck the toast points inside a napkin fold on a plate. Serve the bread and marrow “butter” with small ramekins of Sel de Géurande to be sprinkled atop the treat.

My trip to Paris exposed me to a wonderful brasserie, Le Cardinale near Boulevard Haussmann. There I took a seat outside enjoyed a Ricard pastis, a glass of red wine and a cigarette. I ordered a delicious foie gras terrine with toast and traditional accompaniments. And then came the bone marrow, so succulent, rich and decadent. It came along side some tomato confit, sea salt and plenty of toasted bread. I scooped up every last bit of it and enjoyed it thoroughly! This was truly an inspiring moment and an incredibly important part of my life, as I took the trip for the sole reason of reuniting with an incredible woman who I met in New York City and happened to be working in Paris! My two loves simultaneously converged and brought an insurmountable joy into my life.