Croque Monsieur
The Croque Monsieur, a classic French sandwich originating in Paris, is easy to recreate in your own home. I like serving them open faced. Serve with a simple side salad dressed with basic vinaigrette and lemonade for a complete Parisian lunch.
Total Active Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ to 1 cup milk
Kosher or Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
4-8 Slices of firm, crusty bread (4 for open faced, 8 for a closed sandwich)
4 1-oz. Slices of Black Forest Ham (1 cup of sautéed sliced mushrooms for a vegetarian sandwich, though not traditional)
6-8 oz. Gruyere cheese, 6 oz. sliced (2 oz. grated, optional for closed sandwich)
Process
Turn on the broiler to heat up.
For the Béchamel Sauce
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk in continuously. Keep whisking and cook over low heat for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste and to form a uniform paste called a roux. It should start to smell a bit nutty. The longer you cook it the darker it will get and the nuttier it will smell.
Roux for Bechamel
After at least five minutes slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time. Start with ½ a cup. You can always thin the béchamel with more milk later, but you cannot thicken it. Add in the thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.
Once the milk is whisked in switch to a wooden spoon and stir continuously over medium heat. The sauce will slowly start to thicken.
Continue to cook the béchamel until you can run your finger along the back of the béchamel-coated wooden spoon and it leaves a trail.
Finished Bechamel Sauce
For the Open Faced Sandwich
Toast the 4 bread slices under the broiler for a minute or two on each side.
Top the 4 toasted bread slices with the béchamel, then ham (or mushrooms), then a slice of cheese.
Place under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese.
Serve immediately.
Croque Monsieurs
For the Traditional Closed Sandwich:
Place a slice of ham, and a slice of Gruyere cheese on each of 4 slices of bread, then top with another slice of bread.
Brush the sandwiches with melted butter and place in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Cook a couple minutes on each side.
Place the cooked sandwiches on a baking sheet and top with the béchamel sauce and some grated Gruyere cheese.
Place under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese.
Serve immediately.
Tags: cheese, croque monsieur, French, ham, parisian, sandwich