I first tasted the salty sweetness of the jambon sandwich more than 20 years ago when artist George Marks was serving the hot ham, fig and Asiago cheese deliciousness at an art show in Arnaudville.
Having just moved back after establishing himself as a fine artist in Baton Rouge, Marks was intent on growing an arts community in his small hometown. He started by connecting people with fig sandwiches and great art.
Over the ensuing decades, Marks and an eclectic group of creatives have coalesced into a vibrant arts community that has attracted national and global attention. NUNU Arts and Culture Collective on the Courtableau Highway is its hub. NUNU occupies a large old warehouse with ever-changing interiors — designed to morph into an art gallery, music venue, workshop or some combination of all these. The space also houses a small bookshop, a maker’s space and a professional kitchen. People gather within to create and connect — they dance, quilt, parler français and host potlucks.
Rita Dautreuil Marks, the originator of the Jambon Sandwich, samples someone else’s version at NUNU in Arnaudville.
I recently attended one of their community potluck dinners, boldly attempting to recreate the NUNU-famous jambon sandwich as my contribution. Over the years, I have made the bougie grilled cheese at home, riffing off the basics — switching up the bread, the figs and the ham. I’ve used Langlinais’ pistolets, Poupart’s ciabatta and various bagged rolls from grocery store bakeries. I’ve experimented with whole figs, strawberry figs and a lemon zesty version, relying on the creativity and generosity of my fig-canning family and friends (thanks, Stephan, Mom, Uncle Fred and Ms. DeValcourt). I’ve moved from thick to thin-shaved deli ham. One of the great joys of cooking is following your creative impulses as you try to recreate a taste without a recipe (and without losing an hour to YouTube searches.)
Feeling a bit audacious having volunteered to make Marks’ specialty sandwich as my contribution to the potluck, I asked him for the recipe. He graciously shared what he called a “tricked out” version from his mother Rita Dautreuil Marks’ recipe, replacing her sliced white Evangeline Made with a soft, fat French loaf and tweaking a few other ingredients.
Having the recipe was quite helpful. I finally achieved the delightful toasted cheesy outer crust. But in following the recipe, I ignored my instincts and something wasn’t right. I had brushed the bread with olive oil when my hands were telling me to slather generously. Marks clarified his version of “brushing the bread,” which involves one of his food-use-only paint brushes loaded with olive oil. We laughed, I mentally edited the recipe and we enjoyed the delicious but slightly dry sandwiches.
George Marks and originator of the Jambon Sandwich, Rita Dautreuil Marks, attend a potluck at NUNU in Arnaudville.
Potluck goers recognized the platter of sandwiches on the table and would exclaim, “The jambon!” as if they’d just seen an old friend. Some newcomers mistook it for a Cuban. It’s more closely related to a croque monsieur, a fancy French sandwich made with butter, Dijon, ham and broiled Gruyere on top. Served with salsa on top, it becomes a croque senor. Slide in a slice of pineapple and it’s a croque Hawaiian. Smear both sides with Louisiana fig preserves and it’s a croque Nunu, better known as the jambon among the creatives of Arnaudville.
Toward the end of the evening, a vibrant woman with dark-rimmed glasses and short white hair walked through the doors like she owned the place and was promptly served a selection from the table spread. It was Marks’ mother, the originator of the recipe. As she bit into the sandwich, I thought to hide behind a small tribe of artists at a nearby table but went over and chatted instead. She kindly said it was good. I know it needed a more thorough slathering of olive oil but it was good, and the jambon sandwich platter was empty when the tables were cleared.
Try the recipe for yourself at home, but be generous with the olive oil. Or head to Arnaudville. According to Marks, the jambon will be a featured item on the menu when NUNU hosts “Le Petit Brunch” starting this fall on the third Saturday of each month. Proceeds will help fund the programming at NUNU.
Prep for making the Jambon Sandwich
The Jambon Sandwich
Serves 6-8. Recipe is by George Marks, adapted from a recipe created by his mother, Rita Dautreuil Marks.
1 soft French bread loaf
4 to 8-plus tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2-plus cup fresh grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, divided
6-8 slices baked ham or deli-sliced ham
1/3 cup fig preserves (whole, chopped or pureed)
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Slice the French bread in half horizontally.
3. Slather both sides of each half generously with olive oil using a pastry brush (or an unused paint brush).
4. Place bread pieces, cut side down, on a lightly oiled baking pan.
5. Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons cheese on the outer sides of the bread slices.
6. Toast for 4 minutes until golden and crisp.
7. If using baked ham, slice into sandwich-sized portions and lightly pan-fry in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until just crispy.
8. In a small bowl, mash and mix the fig preserves with 1 tablespoon olive oil until smooth and spreadable. Add more olive oil if necessary.
9. Spread the fig and olive oil mixture on both of the inner sides of the toasted bread.
10. Layer the ham on top of the fig mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
11. Close the sandwich and choose your grilling method: panini press, oven, stovetop skillet or griddle. Cut sandwich loaf as necessary to fit your chosen grilling method.
12. For oven, stovetop or griddle, place and press a heavy black iron skillet on top to compress the sandwich, then heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Slice diagonally and serve warm.
Recipe notes:
- Butter or mayo can be substituted for the olive oil.
- If using thin-sliced deli ham, you might omit pan-frying it (Step 7).
- A few clean bricks wrapped in aluminum foil will also work to press the sandwich as it is grilled.
