The croque monsieur is a French classic bringing cheese on toast to heady new hights. You will relish every mouthful. It should be rich, substantial and salty, so you will reach for a glass of beer between bites.
INGREDIENTS
4 slices of Sheila’s sourdough bread, if you cannot get Sheila’s sourdough. You’ll have to make do with ordinary!
20g butter, melted
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
100g grated gruyere
4 thin slices of great smoked ham
For the béchamel sauce
125ml milk
125ml cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, chopped
20g butter
20g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
grated nutmeg
For the mustard mayo
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
METHOD
First, make the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves and onion in a small pan over a medium heat and stir together. Heat until nearly boiling, then turn the heat off and leave for 10 mins to infuse. Pass the liquid through a sieve and discard the bay and onion.
Melt the butter with the flour in another pan and cook over a gentle heat.Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring to a gentle boil, stirring regularly, then add the Dijon mustard, a little grating of fresh nutmeg and some seasoning. It should be a lovely thick creamy sauce with a deep flavour.
Brush the slices of bread with melted butter. Place them on a baking tray and toast one side under a grill, buttered-side up, until golden. Take them out.
Preheat the oven to220⁰C
TLourn the bread over and spread each slice with a thin layer of Dijon, followed by a layer of the béchamel. Cover the sauce with grated gruyère, and then a slice of ham. Form the slices into two sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the sauce over the top slice and sprinkle more gruyère on top. Put the sandwiches in the oven and bake for 10-15 mins or until golden.
Mix the mustard and mayo together and serve alongside.
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