Croque monsieur

Ingredients

Sandwich

• 8thick slices good white bread
• 8 slicesgood ham
• 200 gGruyère or Comté, grated
• 60 gbutter, softened
• Dijon mustard

Béchamel

• 40 gbutter
• 40 gplain flour
• 400 mlwhole milk
• grated nutmeg
• salt and white pepper
• 50 gGruyère, grated

For a croque madame

• 4eggs

Directions

1. Make the béchamel first: melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook it for 2 minutes without letting it colour, then add the milk gradually while whisking and cook until thick.
2. Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper, then stir in 50 g of the grated cheese off the heat.
3. Make it thick, considerably thicker than a pouring sauce, so that it sits on top of the sandwich rather than running off it. The béchamel is the defining element and it is exactly what separates a croque monsieur from a toasted ham sandwich.
4. Butter the bread on the outside faces only.
5. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the inside, then a thin layer of béchamel, then the ham, then grated cheese, and close the sandwiches.
6. Fry them in a pan in butter over a medium heat for about 3 minutes a side until golden, or toast them under a grill.
7. Move them to a baking tray, spread the remaining béchamel thickly over the tops and scatter the rest of the cheese over that.
8. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until bubbling and browned in patches.
9. For a croque madame, top each one with a fried egg.
10. Serve at once with a green salad and cornichons.

Technique

• It was recorded on a Paris café menu in 1910 and mentioned by Proust in 1918. It is a worked-up version of the plain café ham sandwich.
• Use bread with some structure. Soft sliced bread collapses under the weight of the béchamel.
• The madame is said to be named for the fried egg resembling a woman’s hat, which may or may not be true and is repeated everywhere.

Substitutions

• Emmental or a good mature cheddar in place of Gruyère.
• Crème fraîche thinned with a little milk, if you cannot face making béchamel.

Variations

• Croque madame, with a fried egg on top.
• Croque provençal, with tomato added.
• Croque norvégien, made with smoked salmon instead of ham.

History

A grilled ham and cheese sandwich, topped with an additional layer of béchamel sauce and often more melted cheese on top, first documented on a Parisian café menu in 1910, with its name playfully combining croquer, to crunch or bite, and monsieur, mister, though the exact reasoning behind that specific playful name is not definitively explained beyond its evident lightheartedness. A version topped additionally with a fried or poached egg, called croque madame, developed as a variation, with the egg on top popularly said to resemble a woman’s hat, giving that version its own distinct, similarly playful name. Croque monsieur remains a classic French café and bistro menu item, considered a defining example of casual French comfort food rather than formal, elaborate cuisine.

Frequently asked questions

What is Croque monsieur?

Croque monsieur is a snack from France: grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich glazed with béchamel. A grilled ham and cheese sandwich, topped with an additional layer of béchamel sauce and often more melted cheese on top, first documented on a Parisian café menu in 1910, with its name playfully combining croquer, to crunch or bite, and monsieur, mister, though the exact reasoning behind that specific playful name is not definitively explained beyond its evident lightheartedness. A version topped additionally with a fried or poached egg, called croque madame, developed as a variation, with the egg on top popularly said to resemble a woman’s hat, giving that version its own distinct, similarly playful name. Croque monsieur remains a classic French café and bistro menu item, considered a defining example of casual French comfort food rather than formal, elaborate cuisine.

How long does Croque monsieur take to make?

Croque monsieur takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 sandwiches. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Croque monsieur?

Yes, within limits. Emmental or a good mature cheddar in place of Gruyère. Crème fraîche thinned with a little milk, if you cannot face making béchamel.

What is the most important thing to get right in Croque monsieur?

Make it thick, considerably thicker than a pouring sauce, so that it sits on top of the sandwich rather than running off it. The béchamel is the defining element and it is exactly what separates a croque monsieur from a toasted ham sandwich.