If you have been following this blog even with the smallest modicum of interest, you will undoubtedly have picked up that, well…I like butter. For me, it makes almost everything taste nicer. This is excluded from those occasional Mediterranean healthy type recipes I occasionally like to indulge in, mostly when in the Mediterranean or when feeling exceptionally guilty about my food intake.
Consequently, I was always going to love this recipe. Croque Monsieur is a classic French recipe, although actually describing it as such bestows it a glamour that its reality does not in fact possess. Croque Monsieur is literally the French Parisian ham and cheese toastie. Legend tells us it came about as a work man’s lunch. The work men one day left it by a radiator and came back to find it all hot and melted. They enjoyed it so much that the recipe stuck and the Croque Monsieur which we all drool over today was born. Farmhouse white bread spread with Dijon, good ham, gruyere cheese. There the Croque Monsieur recipes differ – some have a béchamel on top for extra goo (but consequently can’t fry it in butter), some (Raymond Blanc) opt for wholemeal bread, others INSIST on crusts off, some grill, some free, etcetera, etcetera, slobber slobber slobber.
My method is fairly simple. Essentially, you construct your sandwich and then fry it in a pack of butter and truffle oil. Only a casual whole pack. Best served with truffle mayonnaise and a light salad (to keep your calories down). This gives it a deliciously melty inside, strong with the cheese and pungent from the mustard, and a buttery crisp outside that isn’t oily at all.
This will fill you for the day. Great lunch or dinner.
(If you want to hear this cooked – check out the radio show that we cooked it on at the bottom of this page).
Consequently, I was always going to love this recipe. Croque Monsieur is a classic French recipe, although actually describing it as such bestows it a glamour that its reality does not in fact possess. Croque Monsieur is literally the French Parisian ham and cheese toastie. Legend tells us it came about as a work man’s lunch. The work men one day left it by a radiator and came back to find it all hot and melted. They enjoyed it so much that the recipe stuck and the Croque Monsieur which we all drool over today was born. Farmhouse white bread spread with Dijon, good ham, gruyere cheese. There the Croque Monsieur recipes differ – some have a béchamel on top for extra goo (but consequently can’t fry it in butter), some (Raymond Blanc) opt for wholemeal bread, others INSIST on crusts off, some grill, some free, etcetera, etcetera, slobber slobber slobber.
My method is fairly simple. Essentially, you construct your sandwich and then fry it in a pack of butter and truffle oil. Only a casual whole pack. Best served with truffle mayonnaise and a light salad (to keep your calories down). This gives it a deliciously melty inside, strong with the cheese and pungent from the mustard, and a buttery crisp outside that isn’t oily at all.
This will fill you for the day. Great lunch or dinner.
(If you want to hear this cooked – check out the radio show that we cooked it on at the bottom of this page).
Recipe
Ingredients (Serves 2):
4 thick slices of fluffy white farmhouse crusty breads
Dijon Mustard
Gruyere cheese (approx. 100g, but who’s counting)
2 slices good quality ham
Truffle Oil
200g salted butter
Serve with salad & truffle mayonnaise (optional)
Ingredients (Serves 2):
4 thick slices of fluffy white farmhouse crusty breads
Dijon Mustard
Gruyere cheese (approx. 100g, but who’s counting)
2 slices good quality ham
Truffle Oil
200g salted butter
Serve with salad & truffle mayonnaise (optional)
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180 Celsius.
2. Slice the bread.
3. Spread the bread with Dijon. Add a slice of ham and the cheese. Top with the remaining slice.
4. Heat the butter in a pan until frothing. Add a drizzle of the truffle oil. Add the sandwich. Fry on both sides for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
5. Remove from the pan and dab with paper towel to remove excess grease. Put on a tray and put in the oven for 5 to properly melt the cheese.
6. Remove, slice and serve.
1. Heat the oven to 180 Celsius.
2. Slice the bread.
3. Spread the bread with Dijon. Add a slice of ham and the cheese. Top with the remaining slice.
4. Heat the butter in a pan until frothing. Add a drizzle of the truffle oil. Add the sandwich. Fry on both sides for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
5. Remove from the pan and dab with paper towel to remove excess grease. Put on a tray and put in the oven for 5 to properly melt the cheese.
6. Remove, slice and serve.
Crusty bread
Dijon on
Gruyere
melt me
assemble
ho hoooo
dreamy right?
Almost done..
baked
melted and delicious
tuck into me
Listen to this cooked here on IngoodTaste at ZoneOneRadio:
Our Apprentice special with Raymond Blanc – at the end of it I cook up this Croque Monsieur….take note of the crunch.
https://audioboo.fm/boos/1308426-ingoodtaste-with-clare-mulley-and-lucy-boler-apprenticeship-special-with-raymond-blanc-z1radio
Our Apprentice special with Raymond Blanc – at the end of it I cook up this Croque Monsieur….take note of the crunch.
https://audioboo.fm/boos/1308426-ingoodtaste-with-clare-mulley-and-lucy-boler-apprenticeship-special-with-raymond-blanc-z1radio
