Amy’s Bread: Ham and Butter Sandwich

pure buttery goodness

I rarely eat pork, but every other month a sporadic hankering for the elegant simplicity of a ham, butter, and cornichon baguette consumes me and all bets are off. Nothing close to this sandwich – ham and mayo, turkey and butter, or ham and cheese – can quell the hunger. If the craving arises, I rush to the nearest French cafe with the unadulterated classic, which is often hard to find. I was fortunate enough that the sandwich hunger hit me today just as I was passing Amy’s Bread, my favorite bakery in the city. Amy’s offers a wide selection of gorgeous pre-made sandwiches, but nothing could stop me from zooming in on the very last ham and butter and claiming it as my own (after purchasing of course).

isn't she a beaut?

This straight forward French classic consists of just four ingredients, but horrible renditions are made more often than not. A fresh, crusty French baguette is key, and of course best from the native country, but possible to find at select bakeries in NY (Amy’s, Bouchon, sometimes Whole Foods). The next piece is the butter – no half ass table butter. You need the straight-from-the-cow, room temperature, creamy, saltless butter. The ham of course must be fresh and slightly thicker than the average deli slice, and the cornichons about double the thickness of the meat.

classic ham sandwich display

Had I eaten the Amy’s Bread sandwich a few hours earlier, I would have given it a perfect score. But after a few hours of sitting out the bread need a little grill warmth to get it back to form. Regardless, it still did quite the job of satisfying my twice a year craving that never fails to come out of no where. It may have even been good enough to ignite the craving more often.

Grade: A-

Location: Chelsea Market on 9th Avenue between 15th and 16th Street

Website: http://www.amysbread.com