Inspiration came from a recent meal at Le Caméléon, during which one of my dining companions ordered a jumbo foie de veau (veal liver). It appeared, a stately Pasha in a mantle of reduced vinegar, with a side of gratin de macaroni au Parmesan served in one of those miniature cast-iron cocottes that are all the rage these days and that you just might be able to afford with a ten-year payment plan.
The liver was good, the glorified mac ‘n cheese was great — bites were exchanged all around — and the idea stuck with me, ready to resurface on my dining room table this past weekend. Because my main dish of Compotée d’Echine de Porc au Cidre was going to have a sweet persona (the cider, the shallots, the gingerbread spices), I had to give it a frankly savory partner to dance with.
I used penne and added a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts and lardons for bite and flavor, but you can omit or replace these depending on your personal preferences.
I used penne instead of macaroni (this is what I had on hand) and added a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts and lardons (diced thick-cut bacon) for bite and flavor, but you can omit or replace these depending on your personal preferences, deadly allergies, and assorted dietary requirements: mushrooms, diced tomatoes, baby spinach or rocket, roasted vegetables, broccoli, brine- or dry-cured ham, quality canned tuna, and leftovers from a roasted chicken would make appropriate substitutes, though not all at the same time. A pasta gratin can also be served as a comforting main dish, with a green salad on the side.
Miscellaneous notes on cuts of meat, bacon, and lardons, because we always need more of those:
– What is referred to as pork belly in English goes by the name poitrine de porc in French (literally: pork chest) or, more fashionably, poitrine de cochon (pig chest).
– In France, if you ask your butcher for bacon, he will give you what is called “Canadian bacon” in the US — round slices of lean, cured pork meat. If you want regular bacon — the artery-clogging kind — the magic words are poitrine fumée. It is classically sold in a thick slice (about 1 cm or 1/2 inch in thickness) so you can dice it to make your own lardons, but if you want bacon for a full English breakfast (good luck finding proper bangers now that M&S has deserted us) just ask for thin slices.
– Bacon-flavored potato chips are available from any French grocery store; I don’t know what sort of bacon they mean by that.
– Pre-cut lardons (diced or matchsticked) in plastic trays are also available from any French grocery store. They are water-injected and full of preservatives; don’t buy them.