Recipe for Croque Monsieur – with a twist

A delicious and simple recipe for croque-monsieur with a little twist – Croque-monsieur revisité. The classic French bistro dish is very popular on menus in France and very easy to make at home. Usually served with chips and/or salad, it’s fast food at its best.

The name comes from the French word “croquer” meaning to bite and “monsieur” meaning mister. It’s literally a gentleman’s sandwich. It first appeared in French literature in Proust’s, In Search of Lost Time in 1918, but it had featured on menus in Paris as early as 1910. Pop a fried egg on top and it’s called a Croque Madame! Leave out the ham and it’s a Croque Mademoiselle!

Makes 6

Active time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
Storage: Up to 24 hours

INGREDIENTS

Mustard butter

1½ sticks (6 oz./180 g) butter, softened
4 tsp (20 g) whole grain Mustard

Emmantaler spread

3½ cups (14 oz./400 g) grated Emmentaler cheese
Scant 1 cup (200 g/200 ml) heavy cream, min. 35% fat

Croque Monsieurs

6 slices white sourdough bread (or bread of your choice)
6 slices ham (jambon blanc)

METHOD

Preparing the mustard butter

Place the butter and mustard in a bowl and stir until well blended.

Preparing the Emmentaler spread

Place the cheese and cream in a bowl and stir until well blended.

Assembling and baking the croque-monsieurs

Preheat the oven to 450°F (240°C/Gas Mark 8). Using a palette knife, spread an even layer of mustard butter over one side of each bread slice. Place butter side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4). Place a slice of ham on each slice of bread and top with Emmentaler spread. Bake for 15–20 minutes at 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4) until golden brown.

Extracted from French Boulangerie: Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts by FERRANDI Paris (Flammarion, 2024).