The Ultimate Parisian Croque Monsieur
Paris's grilled café classic: ham, Gruyère and golden béchamel. Discover why the béchamel is the soul of this bistro icon.
25 min
Easy
Francesa
2 servings
The story behind
The name gives away its character: "croque" comes from the French verb croquer, to crunch, while monsieur lends it the polish of a Parisian gentleman. It surfaced in the cafés of Paris in the early twentieth century, around 1910, as a quick bite to serve between meals, and grew into a cornerstone of bistro cooking. This is no plain ham-and-cheese: what lifts it is the béchamel, that sauce of milk, butter and flour spread both inside and across the top before it goes under the heat. The key technique sits right there: the fierce blast of an oven or broiler caramelizes the béchamel and the Gruyère into a bubbling, deeply golden crust while the inside turns molten and the bread crisps. That is why thick sliced bread or brioche is used, sturdy enough to carry all that moisture without going soggy. Crown it with a fried egg on top and it stops being monsieur and becomes a croque madame. Golden outside, creamy within, it is the everyday luxury of any French café in the late afternoon.
Instructions
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1Lightly butter the bread and toast one side in a pan until just golden.
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2Assemble the sandwich with ham and a handful of cheese in the middle.
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3Spread a thick layer of bechamel sauce over the top of the sandwich.
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4Top with the remaining shredded cheese for that classic gratin finish.
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5Bake or broil in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and beautifully browned.
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