Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
The croque-monsieur first appeared in Paris cafés around 1901, with the earliest documented reference in Proust's 1918 novel mentioning the sandwich. The name means 'mister crunch' or 'crunchy mister.' Its origins are murky-possibly invented when a café ran out of bread and grilled a sandwich instead, or perhaps an evolution of Welsh rarebit. The original is sliced ham and Gruyère between bread, spread with béchamel or Mornay sauce, then grilled or baked until the cheese bubbles. Adding a fried egg on top creates a croque-madame ('crunchy madam')-the egg supposedly resembling a lady's hat. The dish became a fixture of Parisian café culture, served throughout the day. Variations exist: croque-provençal (with tomato), croque-norvégien (with smoked salmon). The dish represents the French café tradition of simple, satisfying food refined through technique and quality ingredients.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- baking sheet — Provides flat surface for broiling sandwiches and dishes with direct heat for melting and browning
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make the béchamel
Melt 2 tbsp butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute. Add milk gradually, whisk until thick. Season with nutmeg. Add half the Gruyère.
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Assemble and broil
Spread mustard on bread. Layer ham and cheese. Sandwich. Spread béchamel on top, add more Gruyère. Broil until golden and bubbling.