Croque Monsieur Recipe
When you think of a French café do you also think of the classic French snack, a croque-monsieur? A croque monsieur is essentially a grilled cheese sandwich, but when eaten in Paris, it seems to take on an almost mystical quality. Read about this classic and get croque monsieur recipe.
Maybe it’s the ambience of the charming bistro chairs and table, the crisply dressed waiter, or the view along the boulevard of boutiques and Parisians getting on with their day, that transforms this simple food into a French speciality.
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Croque Monsieur - Café des Deux Moulins, Montmartre, Paris
The creaminess of the béchamel sauce sets a croque monsieur apart from a simple cheese and ham grilled sandwich. Traditionally made with béchamel sauce, sometimes they are also made with crème fraiche or a splash of milk over a topping of grated cheese.
History of the Croque Monsieur
Pinpointing exactly when a particular dish was first eaten is rather a big task, but on research it appears that the croque monsieur, according to Larousse Gastronomique the French cooking bible, was served in 1910 at a café on Boulevarde des Capucines in Paris.
Later in 1919 Marcel Proust (who frequented the Ritz Paris, where a salon is named after him), referred to eating a croque at a hotel restaurant and the sandwich has been extremely popular ever since.
Croque Monsieur
A genuine croque is made of two slices of pain de mie (white bread) with the crusts removed, slice of Gruyèye cheese and a slice of ham. It’s then toasted under the grill or fried and then topped with mornay or béchamel sauce and grated cheese and grilled until golden.
Croque Madame
A variation of the Croque Monsieur is the Croque Madame which is served with a fried egg on top. This is also popular in France and even if its not included on a menu, you'll probably be able to ask for this version.
Croque Monsieur - Bar l'Epoque, Paimpol
Croque Monsieur Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Bread slices with crust removed (traditionally white)
- Gruyère cheese (slice)
- Parmesan cheese (grated)
- Ham slices
- Béchamel sauce with Dijon mustard (instructions below if you need them)
Method
- On one slice of bread place your ham slices and slice of Gruyére then top with other slice of bread.
- Toast under the grill or fry in a pan.
- Add béchamel sauce to top slice of bread and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
- Grill until the grated parmesan cheese is melted and bubbly.
Béchamel Sauce Instructions
You'll only need a little sauce to make yourself a croque monsieur.
- Melt some butter in a saucepan.
- Whisk in flour and continue stirring for about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add milk and stir in well until the mixture is smooth. Continue stirring until the sauce has thickened.
- Season with a little salt and grated black pepper.
- Remove from heat and whisk in mustard to taste.
Croque Monsieur - Hey Jupiter Café, Adelaide
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