One of the pleasures of Paris is eating until you’re stuffed. A croissant here, some oeufs mayonnaise there, confit de canard and baba au rhum with friends. What should you eat where, and how do you recreate a bistro or bouillon at home? Summum recommends – a lovely idea for the festive season.
As one of the key cradles of Western gastronomic history, life in Paris revolves largely around food and, by extension, socialising. Parisians can be found in cafés, bars and bistros morning, noon and night. For a coffee, a fresh slice of baguette with butter and ham, and later in the day, to meet up with friends and enjoy some good, simple food at their favourite local bistro.
Les Bouillons
Today, there are still numerous eateries in Paris where the word ‘Bouillon’ features prominently on the façade, such as the famous Bouillon Chartier and beloved Bouillon Pigalle. The origins of these so-called bouillons take us back to nineteenth-century Paris, where mainly bouillon was served. As the city grew, and with it the number of workers, hungry labourers craved a pick-me-up, quite literally something that would ‘restore’ them; a savoury, hot and nourishing bouillon, that is. No fuss, nice and quick, and above all affordable and accessible to everyone.
The original idea came from two Dutchmen who sold bouillon on the street for just twenty centimes to workers and other hungry passers-by. The idea was picked up by a Parisian butcher who served a simple meat stew and meat broth. This butcher, Adolphe-Baptiste Duval, opened his first bouillon in 1854. The menu was expanded and the interior also became significantly different – something you can still see in Parisian bouillons today: plenty of copper, waiters dressed in black and white, large mirrors and Art Nouveau decorations. Here, in a somewhat pleasantly bustling atmosphere, Parisians still love to come together: it’s quick, inexpensive, free of unnecessary fuss and you can always drop in.
LES BOUILLONS
Today, there are still numerous eateries in Paris where the word ‘Bouillon’ features prominently on the façade, such as the famous Bouillon Chartier and beloved Bouillon Pigalle. The origins of these so-called bouillons take us back to nineteenth-century Paris, where mainly bouillon was served. As the city grew, and with it the number of workers, hungry labourers craved a pick-me-up, quite literally something that would ‘restore’ them; a savoury, hot and nourishing bouillon, that is. No fuss, nice and quick, and above all affordable and accessible to everyone.
THE INITIAL IDEA
The original idea came from two Dutchmen who sold bouillon on the street for just twenty centimes to workers and other hungry passers-by. The idea was picked up by a Parisian butcher who served a simple meat stew and meat broth. This butcher, Adolphe-Baptiste Duval, opened his first bouillon in 1854. The menu was expanded and the interior also became significantly different – something you can still see in Parisian bouillons today: plenty of copper, waiters dressed in black and white, large mirrors and Art Nouveau decorations. Here, in a somewhat pleasantly bustling atmosphere, Parisians still love to come together: it’s quick, inexpensive, free of unnecessary fuss and you can always drop in.
Author Honoré de Balzac
‘The bar is the parliament of the people’
Les Bistros
The bistro is sometimes confused with the brasserie, but there are important differences. You go to a brasserie when you’re in the mood for a large space, somewhere that is open all day and where you can always find a table, with plenty of choice and a craving for brasserie classics such as snails, oysters or steak tartare.
The bistro, on the other hand, is your destination when you want a more intimate dinner at small tables, perhaps even in a dark, cosy corner. You’ll find classic French dishes, plenty of slow-cooked (offal) meat, and a focus on tradition and local produce. Often, you can’t visit throughout the entire day because of the service coupé: two shifts with a break in between.
In a good bistro, you feel as though you’re in a living room where you can enjoy an endless lunch or dinner with friends. The first bistros grew out of the wine shops opened by migrants from the Auvergne from the 1870s onwards. These early bistros evolved into places where you could enjoy a friendly chat, with an informal and welcoming atmosphere.
Bistronomie
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the bistro evolved into a true dining establishment. After the war, from the 1950s and 1960s onwards, it had acquired the now-classic bistro elements: checked tablecloths, slow cooking and simple, regional dishes. At the time, it was comparable to what the Italians call ‘la cucina povera’: dishes made with top-quality local ingredients, affordable and simply prepared.
When young, ambitious chefs moved away from ‘tweezer work’ and began opening more down-to-earth and accessible establishments, bringing with them the knowledge and techniques of their haute cuisine background, bistronomy was born. Here, quality ingredients are used, with the classics as a foundation. For around a decade now, Paris has also seen a new trend known as ‘neobistro’, featuring updated classics, natural wines, good local ingredients and a relaxed atmosphere: the beauty of simple food is, and always will be, the key to a great bistro.
‘The bar is the parliament of the people’
Author Honoré de Balzac
Host a bistro at home
Simple? Relaxed? Homely? You can create that at home too. Serve Parisian comfort food over the festive season (or whenever you like). Try classic cooking methods that aren’t technically impossible and make use of seasonal produce.
The typical bistro setting is cosy and laid-back: a wooden table, white candles, linen napkins and classic white crockery, but feel free to mix these with stainless steel or (weathered) marble. Colour also fits the palette: olive green, warm yellow, burgundy red. Have fun browsing a brocante market and collect pretty glassware and porcelain for bread, cornichons, mustard, salt and pepper.
Create a handwritten menu or write it on a chalkboard. It doesn’t have to be perfectly styled; in fact, it should feel warm and abundant. So, what should you put on the menu? Well: coq au vin, for example. You’ll find the recipe below.
Coq au Vin
SERVES 4
APPROX. 60 MIN
600 ml red wine
olive oil
1 entire chicken
250 g bacon
200 g mushrooms
400 g whole, peeled shallots
2 celery stalks
60 g flour
600 ml chicken stock
a few sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper
Bring the red wine to a boil until it has reduced by half. Set aside. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and fry the entire chicken, cut into 8 pieces, until golden brown all over, then set aside. Fry the bacon in the same pan, then the mushrooms, and set aside. Fry the whole, peeled shallots and the celery stalks for a few minutes, stir in the flour and fry for a further minute. Gradually add the red wine and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, a few sprigs of thyme, salt and pepper. Leave this to gently simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the bacon and mushrooms and gently simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the thyme and serve. Delicious with Du Puy lentils or crusty bread and salted butter.
Sources
1. Bouillon Chartier. (z.d.). [The concept] [Foto]. Bekijk afbeelding
2. Bouillon Chartier. (z.d.). [The bouillons] [Foto]. Bekijk afbeelding
