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Croque-Monsieur
French Cuisine: Croque-monsieur
Originating in French cafés and bars back in 1910 as a quick snack, a croque-monsieur is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich made with brioche-type bread. Its name comes from the French verb croquer ‘to bite’, and monsieur meaning ‘mister’. The Croque-Monsieur recipe is very simple and quick to make!
Ingredients (makes 4 Sandwiches)
- 8 slices of pain de mie (sliced white sandwich bread without crust)
- Butter
- 4 slices of ham
- 8 slices of cheese (Emmental)
- 100g grated Gruyère cheese
- 4 spoons of milk
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Butter each slice of bread on one side.
- Place four slices under the grill butter side up until slightly golden.
- Place one slice of cheese and one slice of ham on these four slices of bread.
- In a bowl, mix the milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and the Gruyère cheese together.
- Add the second slice of bread to each of the sandwiches, and spread the Gruyère mix on top.
- Place under the grill for 10 minutes.
There are a few variations of the croque-monsieur to try:
- Try a croque madame, add a fried egg on top
- Croque Hawaiian, add a slice of pineapple on top
- Croque provençal, add sliced fresh tomato to the middle
- Croque norvégien, use smoked salmon instead of ham