Croque-monsieur
Toasted Ham and Gruyère Sandwich with Béchamel
Ham and Gruyère between two slices of white bread, with a layer of mustardy béchamel on top that bubbles and browns under the grill. It is the snack of every French café counter and it takes a quarter of an hour.
The recipe read makes a thick béchamel with 20 g each of butter and flour and 150 ml of milk, seasoned with Dijon mustard and nutmeg, fills the sandwiches with ham and sliced Gruyère, spreads the sauce on top and grills them until browned and bubbling.
Ingredients
For the béchamel
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 20 g plain flour
- 150 ml whole milk
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- A grating of nutmeg
- Fine sea salt
For the sandwiches
- 8 slices of white sandwich bread
- 20 g soft butter
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 slices of good cooked ham
- 200 g Gruyère, three-quarters sliced, the remainder grated
Method
- Make the béchamel Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until very thick. Stir in the mustard, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
- Assemble Heat the grill to high. Toast the bread lightly on one side only. Butter the untoasted sides and spread four of them thinly with mustard. Top with the ham and the sliced Gruyère and close with the other slices, toasted side out.
- Top and grill Put the sandwiches on a baking tray. Spread the béchamel over the tops, right to the edges, and scatter with the grated cheese. Grill about 10 cm from the heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until the top is browned in patches and the cheese inside has melted. Serve hot.
A thick béchamel stays on the bread. If it runs, cook it a little longer.