I learned this Lyonnais mâchon on the job: not from a book, but by seeing it always return to the table early, with its unmistakable logic. Pork (of course), warm food (potatoes), crunchy bits (salad, pickles), and a mustard-vinegar sauce that brings everything back together.
What I love is that it's a "platter dish" that's stress-free to prepare. You cook potatoes, slice some good charcuterie, make a great sauce, and everyone helps themselves.
The only real rule: use quality charcuterie and serve it at the right temperature. Too cold, and the fat hardens and it loses its appeal.
For a touch of "home cooking," I keep the potatoes warm and coat them with a tangy mustard vinaigrette with shallot and parsley. It ties together the rosette sausage, the Jésus sausage, the cooked sausage, and the cheese. And the salad (with a little radish) adds freshness, preventing it from feeling too greasy.
From a nutritional standpoint, it's not a light dish, let's not kid ourselves. But we can make it more balanced by increasing the portion of salad and radishes, keeping the amount of cold cuts reasonable, and opting for steamed potatoes rather than sautéed ones.
The result remains true to the spirit of the mâchon: convivial, generous, clean in taste!
Lyonnais snack
4
people16
minutes36
minutes1075
kcal52
minutesA Lyon-style mâchon : carefully selected pork products, warm potatoes, crisp salad, and a glass of Beaujolais. Simple, straightforward, with a perfectly balanced recipe of fat, vinegar, and mustard.
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Ingredients
800g - fleshed potatoes
1 Lyon-style cooked sausage (approx. 450g each)
200g of rosette de Lyon
200g or thick dry sausage)
160g of head cheese
1 curly endive salad (approx. 200g each)
1 bunch of radishes (approx. 120g each)
80g of gherkins
2 shallots
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (approx. 15g per tablespoon)
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (approx. 15ml per tablespoon)
5 tablespoons of rapeseed or sunflower oil (approx. 15ml per tablespoon)
2 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley
Black pepper
Salt (for the cooking water)
Preparation steps
- Put a large pot of water on to heat. Add salt when it starts to simmer.
- Place the sausage in simmering water (not a rolling boil). Simmer for 25 minutes. Keep it warm in its water off the heat.
- Meanwhile, wash the potatoes and cook them in water (starting with cold, salted water) for 18 to 22 minutes, depending on their size. They should be tender but not mealy. Drain them, then peel them while they are still hot (using a tea towel makes it easy).
- Prepare the dressing: In a bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar. Add the finely chopped shallots, season generously with pepper, then whisk in the oil in a thin stream to emulsify. Taste: it should be tangy. Adjust the salt if necessary.
- Cut the potatoes into thick slices (or large chunks). Pour half the sauce over them, add the parsley, mix gently and let it cool for 5 minutes: they will absorb the sauce, that's when it gets good.
- Wash and spin dry the frisée lettuce. Roughly chop it. Slice the radishes into thin rounds. Dress the salad and radishes with the remaining dressing (add it gradually, you don't want to drown the frisée).
- Slice the rosette, the Jésus sausage, and the head cheese. Cut the gherkins in half lengthwise.
- Remove the sausage from the oven, peel off the skin, then slice it into 1 cm rounds. Serve immediately, while still warm.
- Arrange on a large board or in the center of the table: warm potatoes, salad/radishes, cold cuts, and pickles. Give the potatoes a final grind of pepper and serve.
📊 Nutritional Information
1 serving (approx. 560g)
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 1075 kcal |
| Proteins | 43g |
| Carbohydrates | 55g |
| including sugars | 6g |
| Lipids | 73g |
| including saturated fatty acids | 20g |
| Fibers | 6g |
| Sodium | 1750mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin B12 | 95% RDA |
| Vitamin K | 85% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) |
| Vitamin C | 55% AJR |
| Minerals | |
| Potassium | 32% AJR |
| Phosphorus | 38% AJR |
| Iron | 22% AJR |
* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
📝 Notes
To keep with the traditional "mâchon" style: serve at the table, in the center, and let everyone assemble their own plate. The leftovers (especially potatoes and sauce) are perfect the next day, at room temperature.
💡 Chef's Tips
The key to a good mâchon is temperature: charcuterie at room temperature (20 minutes out of the fridge), sausage cooked lukewarm, potatoes lukewarm. And for a well-bound sauce, first whisk in mustard and vinegar, then drizzle in some oil.
🔄 Variations
- A more rustic recipe: add 4 hard-boiled eggs cut in half to the tray.
- Mâchon plus “bouchon” lyonnais: replace part of the frisée with a small salad of warm lentils (approx. 200g cooked) seasoned with the same sauce.
