Video recipe on how to make a french grilled ham and cheese sandwich, aka croque monsieur, the perfect way. Tracing the history of the croque monsieur sandwich posted on august 11, 2015 by bob adams leave a reply as anyone who has visited paris knows, a very popular lunchtime meal at cafes and smaller eateries in the city of lightand indeed throughout all of franceis the croque monsieur, a toasted ham and cheese sandwich that is one of the. English translation of croque monsieur the official collins frenchenglish dictionary online. A croque monsieur is a french version of a ham and cheese sandwich. An eat your books index lists the main ingredients and does not include storecupboard ingredients salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.
Unlike the loaded, layeruponlayer deli or hoagie sandwich, the croque monsieur is rich but thin slices of white bread filled with a thin slice of ham and a thin slice of cheese, traditionally emmental or gruyere, and grilled in a generous amount of butter. The sauce, bechamel, is made of flour, butter, milk, and typically some of the cheese youre using in the sandwich itself the cheese is gruyere or swiss. Another translation might be crunch on this, my man. I always thought it was just a cheese and ham toasty, but this one was a bit special let m explain. Add the mustard, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Dip both sides of each sandwich in the egg mixture, and fry in the oil and butter until browned, flipping to brown on each side. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted. The croque is such a staple to french society that the government regulates the maximum price it can be sold for to keep it affordable. Cook the roux the mixture of butter and flour for 2 minutes over low heat. Croque monsieur definition of croque monsieur by the. May 31, 2009 the croquemonsieur made its debut in 1910, in a cafe on the boulevard des capucines.
Add a fried egg on top and you have a croque madame. You can find a croque monsieur on most french bistro or cafe menus. Simmer gently for 23 minutes until the sauce has thickened. The name is based on the verb croquer to bite, to crunch and the word monsieur mister. Place the croquemonsieur on a baking tray in the oven. Traditional croquemonsieur recipe traditional french. Croquemonsieur definition and meaning collins english. Croquemonsieur should, in my opinion, redirect to croque monsieur. Mar 03, 2008 the panini express neoclassic croque monsieur recipe makes two hot, crisp hamandcheese sandwiches the first recipe out of the gate for this weeks featured cookbook is what panini express authors daniel leader and lauren chattman call a neoclassic croque monsieur. Add the flour and stir over a medium heat until blended. Croque monsieur is sometimes made in a special sandwichgrilling iron consisting of two hinged metal plates, each with two shellshaped indentations. When the croquemonsieur is ready, remove from the heat and serve warm. The croquemonsieur is lightly browned on both sides, either in butter in a frying pan skillet or under the grill broiler.
The croque monsieur, a classic parisian comfort food, is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich featuring gruyere or a similar cheese like comte. This classic croque monsieur recipe is easy to prepare and is a taste emersion right to the middle of paris. Croquer means to crunch in french, so the name literally translates to crunchmister. Found all over france, the croque monsieur croak misewer is an amazing spin on what most of us know as a simple ham and cheese sandwich. To make croque madame, serve a fried egg on top of each sandwich. I like a croque monsieur as an open faced sandwich. Tracing the history of the croque monsieur sandwich paris. Aug 11, 2015 tracing the history of the croque monsieur sandwich posted on august 11, 2015 by bob adams leave a reply as anyone who has visited paris knows, a very popular lunchtime meal at cafes and smaller eateries in the city of lightand indeed throughout all of franceis the croque monsieur, a toasted ham and cheese sandwich that is one of the. Frances bar and cafe food this is the realm of snacks like tartines and rillettes, salads and savory tarts, and one of most delicious of all. A croque monsieur is a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese. Tracing the history of the croque monsieur sandwich paris blog oui always have paris.
The bottom croque monsieur and the one to the right on the spatula in the photo above is from melts, a new release from fern green. The traditional croquemonsieur is easy to prepare with toasted bread and savory sliced ham. The dish originated in french cafes and bars as a quick snack. Mar 15, 2020 a croquemonsieur is a french sandwich made of ham, gruyere cheese, french bread, and dijon mustard. Check out croque monsieur by paris cafe society on amazon music.
The origins of the name are unknown, but i suspect the etymology is quintessentially french. Spread bechamel on top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Add a fried egg on top and you have a croquemadame. Cook until is hot inside and the top in golden and gratine approx. Iains made a few changes to it along the way bonjour, waferthin roast turkey but for him and his dad, its most definitely proper. Histoire et recette du croquemonsieur traditionnel. Also bakes up calzones, muffins, turnovers, brownies, cakes, and more. Mar 31, 2020 a croque monsieur literally translates as mr. A fantastic french toasted sandwich, which is made with gruyere cheese and ham. Instead of or in addition to the cheese on top, you add a fried egg. Add flour and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale and foamy, about 3 minutes. To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes.
How to cook the perfect croque monsieur food the guardian. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously into a smooth sauce. A quick internet search revealed that the monte cristo sandwich became famous in the 1960s when it was served at disneyland. A few months ago, a facebook friend asked people to list their favorite books of all time. French croque monsieur sandwich reinvented grilled ham. Neoclassic croque monsieur recipe cook the book serious eats. It first appears in literature in a work by proust, in search of lost time in 1918, but it had featured on menus in paris as early as 1910. Croque monsieur definition of croque monsieur by merriam. Croque monsieur by paris cafe society on amazon music.
The top my be coated with a gruyere bechamel sauce and cooked au gratin. Fill sandwich with mustard, ham, and half the gruyere. Croque monsieur and variations general discussion croque. An authentic croque monsieur found all over france, the croque monsieur croak misewer is an amazing spin on what most of us know as a simple ham and cheese sandwich. Its neoclassic because, leader says, its a bit more rustic than the dainty versions. The panini express neoclassic croque monsieur recipe makes two hot, crisp hamandcheese sandwiches the first recipe out of the gate for this weeks featured cookbook is what panini express authors daniel leader and lauren chattman call a neoclassic croque monsieur. Probably anticipating my lust for french history and knowledge, the.
The title croque monsieur comes from croquer, to bite and monsieur meaning mister. Croque monsieur and croque madame are both french dishes that are essentially grilled ham and cheese with a white sauce. An exasperated frenchman spots his waiter, moving quickly in his direction. In a flat bottomed dish, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, and water until blended. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Put the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves and onion in a small pan over a medium heat and stir together. An iconic french favorite, the croquemonsieur originated in paris cafes as a snack but is also ideal served for lunch with a hearty side salad. A croque is the ultimate fast food, classic street food, and allround convenience food made quickly and easily into a nourishing and totally delicious meal. While french restaurant and country cooking have been thoroughly examined by american home cooks, somewhere between the two styles lies a branch of cuisine that has been almost entirely missed.
Season with salt, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg and spread half the mixture over 5 slices of white bread. Mar, 2018 this classic croque monsieur recipe is easy to prepare and is a taste emersion right to the middle of paris. When the butter starts bubbling, add the flour to the pot and whisk to incorporate. Its earliest mention in literature appears to be in volume. Mastering the croque monsieur and its eggtopped spouse, known as. The book tells the story of edmond dantes, a happygolucky sailor who is framed by his frenemiesdangerous even in 19thcentury france. The magical allure of croque madame and jody williams. Toast on a baking sheet until cheese is melted and top is golden brown. However the croquet was invented, the sandwich was referred to by name for the first time on a parisian cafe menu in 1910 and its first mention in print appears in prousts 1918 work in search of lost time.
Authentic, fabulous, simple to make this is a real french croque monsieur that will taste so french youll want to make it again and again. Oct 08, 2016 spread a thin layer of bechamel on top of the croquemonsieur and add some gruyere. It just looks like a regular ham and cheese sandwich which a croque monsieur certainly isnt. English translation of croquemonsieur collins french. Iains proper croque monsieur recipe tesco real food. I was surprised to discover the number one novel on everyones shelf. A brief history of the croque monsieur, frances cheese. Discover the history of this humble sandwich, as well as modern versions making waves in. A delicious toasted ham and cheese sandwich, croque monsieur is topped with a bechamel sauce and even more cheese and then broiled to perfection. Heat until nearly boiling, then turn the heat off and leave for 10 mins to infuse. A variation of this sandwich is the croque madame or madam crunchy. In a saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat.
They first had it on a joint trip to france and, since then, its become their favourite weekend lunch. The croque monsieur directly above and to the left top is nick haddows version from milk. The simple rules to make killer croques monsieurs and madames. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, 6 to 7 minutes. Over 100,000 english translations of french words and phrases.
Heat remaining butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sep 10, 2014 video recipe on how to make a french grilled ham and cheese sandwich, aka croque monsieur, the perfect way. In the 1930s1960s, american cookbooks had recipes for this sandwich under such names as french sandwich, toasted ham sandwich, and french toasted cheese sandwich. The simple answer is that it is a dish that has stood the test of time. The difference between the two is that croque madame has a fried or poached egg on top. Croque monsieur as variations, use sliced tomato instead of pear, mix a little bechamel sauce or goodquality mayonnaise into the mustard, or use chutney or relish instead of mustard. Croque monsieur definition is a ham and cheese sandwich that is usually dipped in batter and grilled. The picture doesnt even show the bechamel sauce on top. Is the croque monsieur the worlds finest toastie, or an overrated. Nov 19, 20 michel rouxs authentic croque monsieur recipe written by michel roux jr on november 19, 20 in main courses a croque monsieur is essentially a toasted ham and cheese sandwich but we promise you, when you make it the master chefs way it is no ordinary toasted sandwich. Without getting too serious, because it is really, just a grilled cheese, this french version taught me a whole lot really and if youre like me, just learning or a wellseasoned cook.
As the waiter glides past his table, he simply holds up his finger, and makes a concise. Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. Top with the rest of the bread, with the toasted side uppermost, and push down, then put the sandwiches on to the grill tray and top with bechamel sauce. Croque monsieur synonyms, croque monsieur pronunciation, croque monsieur translation, english dictionary definition of croque monsieur. Monte cristo sandwich typesandwich place of originunited states main ingredientsbread, ham, cheese, egg batter cookbook. Apr 12, 2017 the bottom croque monsieur and the one to the right on the spatula in the photo above is from melts, a new release from fern green. Jan, 2014 croque monsieur makes 2 4 slices of white staler side bread trim off crusts 1 stick of butter 4 slices of gruyere cheese or enough to cover each 2 pieces of bread 2 pieces of ham trimmed the same size as the bread kitchen twine to tie around the sandwich optional dijon mustard. A brief history of the croque monsieur, frances cheese toastie.
The croque monsieur is lightly browned on both sides, either in butter in a frying pan skillet or under the grill broiler. It just looks like a regular ham and cheese sandwich which a croquemonsieur certainly isnt. A monte cristo sandwich is a fried ham and cheese sandwich, a variation of the french croquemonsieur. My girlfriend had a delicious croque monsieur on saturday. Cupcake ipsum dolor sit amet chocolate bar halvah carrot cake donut.
Croque monsieur general discussion croque monsieur. There are several possible variations on this basic recipe. Its earliest mention in literature appears to be in. Chef michel roux jr shares this fabulous croque monsieur recipe with us from his new book the french kitchen. Im often asked to explain what makes a recipe a classic. A croquemadame, my french teacher explained, was a kind of grilled cheese. The sandwichs first recorded appearance on a paris cafe menu was in 1910. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard. Looking at various websites, the most common form in english is croque monsieur. The croque monsieur cooks and seals the famous french ham and cheese sandwich. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.