RECIPE
BRIOCHE CROQUE MONSIEUR By Jack and Hayley Rowbottom
Crisp Mister? Quite literally the French to English translation of this wonderful beast of a sandwich. Packed with cheesy, gooey and buttery flavours, this is most definitely not for the faint of heart! It’s thought that one possible origin of this sandwich comes from the times when French workers left their sarnies on a radiator while they worked, inadvertently creating the first French cheese and ham toasty. Other variations include: The addition of a fried egg served on top: Croque Madame The addition of tomatoes: Croque Provençal The substitution of blue cheese for Gruyère: Croque Auvergnat The substitution of smoked salmon for ham: Croque Norvégien Ingredients: 200ml of milk 20g of plain flour
20g of butter 4 slices of brioche or thick white bread 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard 4 slices of good quality ham 4 handfuls of grated Gruyère cheese Salt and pepper to season Method: To make the béchamel sauce: 1. Pour the milk into a saucepan then add the flour and butter, slowly bringing the mixture up to the boil. Stir / whisk constantly until you have a thick, creamy sauce. Season well. To make the sarnie: 1. Heat the grill to medium high and the oven to 200°C (fan). Brush the brioche slices with melted butter and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper to toast one side only under the grill until it’s golden. 2. Remove the bread from the grill and build your two sandwiches. Place one slice of bread butter side down, add a layer of Dijon mustard, two slices of ham, a layer of cheese, a layer of
