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

béchamel sauce, a second slice of bread butter side up, more béchamel sauce and then a final layer of cheese on top. You got that?? 3. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Leave to cool slightly, then stuff your face!