The Croque Monsieur is a decadent yet simple-to-prepare version of a grilled ham and cheese which is one of the more famous items of French Cuisine. It takes a bit longer to prepare because of a sauce and two stage cooking, but on a special occasion is well worth the slight additional trouble.
More so than most recipes, because this one is such a simple set of ingredients, top quality is important: the cheese and butter should be the best reasonably available.
As a quick summary, the steps are:
- Start making Bechamel sauce
- Make a grilled ham and cheese
- Top it with sauce and cheese
- Broil/bake until bubbly and browned
Grilled cheese ingredients, quantity for two very generous sandwiches:
- 4 slices white bread (unbleached is fine, but rustic or sourdough will lead to a less authentic result and different texture)
- 1/2 lb aged Gruyere
- 4 thin slices high quality sandwich ham, the size of the bread
- Butter for frying
Bechamel Sauce ingredients:
- 2 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/8 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 qt milk
- 1/2 tsp salt (approx)
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg (approx)
To make the Bechamel sauce:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan under medium heat to get a light sizzle. Using something with a flat end like a spatula or wooden spoon, slowly sprinkle and stir the flour into the butter, forming a paste. Cook it lightly; as soon as it gives a hint of starting to brown, begin to very slowly stir in the milk. A rather dramatic reaction will occur, thickening dramatically. Continue to stir the milk in very slowly (to prevent lumps) under low-medium heat. Cook slowly, stirring regularly, for 10-20 minutes until the taste and mouthfeel is silky and smooth (initially the incompletely cooked flour will make it taste gritty). Keep warm until ready for use.
To make the Croque Monsieur:
Grate the cheese (slivers, not powder), or slice/dice reasonably fine. Place two slices of ham on a slice of bread. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Top with another slice of bread. Repeat for the second sandwich.
For each sandwich (can be done simultaneously if the pan is large enough), melt a pat of butter in a frying pan. Fry under low-medium heat, covered, until lightly browned. Lift and add another pat of butter, then fry the uncooked side until lightly browned. Place on a baking pan covered with parchment paper (or butter/grease the baking pan). Top with a generous portion of bechamel sauce (a bit of drip down the sides is fine) and then give a further generous sprinkle of cheese on the top. Broil, or bake at 450, for a few minutes until bubbly and lightly brown on top. If using an oven, a small kitchen torch (such as brulee torch) can be used to get more browning).
Serve and enjoy!
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