Ingredients
Directions
The legendary Croque Monsieur was born in a brasserie Boulevard Des Capucines Paris in 1901. Croque monsieur is a sandwich made with pain de mie (focaccia bread can be used for croque monsieur as well), gruyere and uncured ham/jambon. Béchamel or mornay sauce can be added to the equation offering a richer sandwich.
Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour and cook for a couple of minutes on low. Pour in warm milk, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes whisking swiftly. Remove from the heat, and mix in cream, egg yolks and cheeses. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne to taste. Cover the sauce with a plastic wrap in contact and place over a bowl of ice water, and stir every so often. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Spread a thin layer of mustard over one of the bread. Spread some mornay on each bread slice. Add cheese, ham and cheese again. Gently press to seal and cover with more sauce. Add cheese and grated parmigiano. Croque monsieur can be made in advance, wrapped in plastic cling and kept refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for a couple of weeks. Thaw sandwiches overnight in the refrigerator prior to cook.
Position an oven rack so that it is 6-inch/15 cm from the broiling unit. Preheat oven to 450°F/230ºC. Cook croque monsieur for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
By the time croque monsieur is cooking, heat up a nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Use a 3-inch/7.5 cm diameter tart ring if desired. Add a small chunk of butter into each ring and cook eggs on medium heat for about 4 mins or until the egg whites are fully cooked. Season with salt, ground black pepper and cayenne or paprika to taste. Top each croque monsieur with an egg. Bon appétit!
