Methods to Make the Finest Croque Monsieur, France’s Decadent Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

A French bistro basic, the notorious “croque monsieur” is a sandwich crammed with Paris ham and French onerous mountain cheese, grilled to perfection, then lined with a creamy béchamel sauce and completed below the broiler. Consider it because the French tackle grilled cheese, solely far more decadent.

Identical to a sandwich, assembling a croque monsieur is nothing sophisticated. This recipe is really a breeze to recreate at dwelling and one that can please the entire household. However this isn’t your typical grilled cheese. What’s necessary right here is to decide on every element of your croque monsieur correctly. So listed below are a number of suggestions for constructing an ideal and genuine tasting sandwich—even outdoors of France.

A French bread with a decent crumb and not-too-crusty crust is right to carry the melted cheese and sauce. (Audrey Le Goff)

The Bread Base

A white basic ache de mie (additionally known as pullman bread in North America) is the very best and essentially the most conventional alternative for a croque monsieur. The sq. form of ache de mie slices is right, and the tight crumb of this mushy bread is ideal to carry the melty cheese with out it leaking out onto the underside of your pan.

You can even go for a French loaf, which can make for a extra rustic-looking croque monsieur (as pictured right here). When selecting the loaf, merely be sure the crumb is tight and the crust not too crusty.

Sourdough boules or grainy loaves aren’t really useful right here. They usually have crumbs with larger holes that can enable the cheese to spill out and burn onto the pan. Their crust can be too crunchy and turns into even more durable to chew into as soon as toasted.

Every element of the croque monsieur is rigorously chosen to create an genuine French bistro basic. (Audrey Le Goff)

Style of Paris

In France, “Jambon de Paris” is used for this recipe. Jambon de Paris is a lean, unsmoked, mild-flavored ham that’s offered cooked, sliced, and ready-to-eat in each grocery retailer and butcher store in France. In North America, this fashion is much less frequent however can usually be discovered on the deli-counter. Ask for skinny (not shaved) slices of “Paris Ham” out of your butcher or deli grocer.

Paris ham is lean, unsmoked, mild-flavored, and enhances the onerous mountain cheeses on this French sandwich. (Audrey Le Goff)

Tacky Perfection

Laborious French mountain cheeses, resembling Comté, Gruyère, and Emmental, are historically used for a croque monsieur. They’re flavorful but not too sturdy, maintain scrumptious nutty aromas, and soften very properly. They’re quite common cheeses to search out in France and are additionally reasonably priced. In North America, they’re barely costlier however price it, in the event you ask me, to create an authentic-tasting croque monsieur. They’re scrumptious to eat on their very own, too!

A central ingredient of any grilled cheese sandwich, butter offers the croque monsieur its toasted crunch. (Audrey Le Goff)

The Béchamel Sauce

Béchamel is without doubt one of the 5 French “mom sauces” (together with velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato) and is a superb recipe to have in your French repertoire. This white sauce begins with a roux (butter and flour), to which milk is whisked in to create a thicker sauce. Making a béchamel sauce normally requires a ratio of two cups of two p.c or entire milk for each three tablespoons of butter and three tablespoons of flour. This makes for an extremely creamy sauce, which is then spiked with nutmeg—pairing properly with the ham and cheese.

You may make the béchamel sauce upfront, as much as sooner or later earlier than utilizing it. After making the sauce, switch it right into a bowl and canopy it with a plastic movie that touches the floor of the sauce so no “dry pores and skin” varieties on high. Let it cool fully to room temperature and hold within the fridge till it’s time to make use of it. Earlier than utilizing it, reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium-low warmth and whisk vigorously till it turns into easy once more.

Regular Does It

A key to cooking a correct croque monsieur is to be affected person. A standard mistake when toasting this sandwich on the stovetop is to begin on a pan that’s far too scorching. The bread instantly will get toasted and the cheese doesn’t have time to soften. To keep away from this, place your croque monsieur on a chilly pan, after which flip the warmth as much as medium. Each the bread and cheese will slowly heat up, and the cheese will begin melting because the bread begins toasting.

Croque Monsieur

I like to get pleasure from croque monsieur with a salad and some cornichons (French dill pickles) on the facet. To show it right into a croque madame, merely add a sunny-side-up egg on high of every croque monsieur proper earlier than serving.

This recipe makes 2 sandwiches. You possibly can simply double or triple portions for extra.

Makes 2

For the Béchamel Sauce

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2 p.c or entire milk
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sandwich

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 slices ache de mie
• 1/2 cup Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental cheese, grated.
• 4 slices Paris ham
• Salt
• Pepper

To make the sauce:

Soften the butter in a medium saucepan over medium warmth. Sprinkle with the flour and cook dinner for 1 minute, stirring always with a wood spoon till a thick paste varieties that leaves the perimeters of the pan clear.

Change to a whisk and slowly add the milk, stirring always.

Deliver to a sluggish boil, and hold stirring till the sauce thickens to a creamy and spreadable consistency.

Take away from the warmth and stir within the nutmeg and black pepper. Modify seasoning (salt) if wanted and put aside.

To make the sandwich:

Organize the bread in your working floor. Unfold 1/2 tablespoon of butter on every slice. Flip the slices so the buttered sides are on the surface, and high 2 slices every with rather less than 1/4 cup of grated cheese and a pair of slices of ham. Shut with the remaining bread slices (buttered facet on the surface) to type sandwiches.

Place the two sandwiches on a forged iron skillet (or oven-safe pan), and switch the warmth to medium. Cook dinner for about 7 to eight minutes, till the bottoms are crisp and golden. Flip the sandwich (rigorously, with a spatula) and brown for an extra 4 to five minutes.

Unfold a beneficiant layer of béchamel sauce on high of the sandwiches and (optionally) high with the remaining grated cheese. Place the skillet in your oven below the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Maintain a detailed eye on them so the tops don’t burn! Serve instantly.