Chef Manish Kusumwal, corporate chef, Keys Hotels shares his recipe for the classic French sandwich.
A toasted and baked ham and cheese sandwich, Croque Monsieur finds its origin in French cafés and bars.
A quick snack, it's heavy enough to be considered as a meal.
Ingredients
For the Béchamel sauce
- 2 tbsp butter (plus more for toasting bread in the pan)
- 2 tbsp flour/maida
- 1 cup warm milk
- A pinch of nutmeg
For the sandwich
- 4 thick slices of white bread
- Dijon mustard
- 4 slices ham (preferably pork ham, but you can also use chicken ham)
- 4 slices Gruyere cheese, sliced (can be replaced with a good cheddar, grated or sliced)
- 50 gm Gruyere cheese, shredded (can be replaced with cheddar)
Method
For the Béchamel sauce
- In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble and foam, add the flour and whisk for another 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add the warm milk and stir until smooth. Finish with nutmeg.
For the sandwich:
- Spread Dijon mustard on one side of each slice of bread.
- Apply the Béchamel sauce generously and evenly on two bread slices.
- Top the slices with even amounts of the ham and cheese. Then place the other two slices of bread on top to make the sandwiches.
- In a large skillet or a nonstick pan, melt another tbsp of butter. Add each sandwich and lightly brown on both sides. It should be slightly crispy.
- Place the sandwiches on a sheet pan and top with the Béchamel sauce.
- Pre-heat the broiler at 425°F. Top each sandwich with grated Gruyere and place under the broiler until golden brown. Serve hot.
Tip: Once you have made this sandwich, you can take it a notch higher by making it a Croque Madame by adding a poached or a fried egg on top.
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