Croque Monsieur

Since I started cooking, I have always wanted to go to Paris and see all of the places I learned about, and my husband is going to change that. So, this week's blog is about my favorite French sandwich named croque monsieur.

   We made an agreement that if I can make the money for the trip and I learn to speak French he'll take me. I said we should go for a month so we could travel Europe, and he said we'll you have to learn French and save the money. I have never been further the Vancouver, BC, and for a travel bug like me it was all the push I needed.

  Let’s start this process of googling croque monsieur. Michel Lunarca made the dish popular in 1910 as a simple snack for busy Parisiens. Croque monsieur literally translates to ‘mister crunch’, which is ironic because of the crunchiness of the bread after it's fried/baked. There are a few different variations of the sandwich including the croque madam. It’s what I'd call an upgraded version with an egg on top of the sandwich.
   My first experience with actually making French food was in culinary school but I didn't use I'd say a good percentage of those skills until I got to Louisville. My first day at Mercato I had to make an Español sauce, it's a French sauce made with beef stock, mire poix, and tomato paste as its base. However, nothing could have prepared me for French week at Collegiate. The day that I remember was beef bourguignon and croque monsieur with haricots verts. It was the most difficult day of the week for me because feeding 800 kids basically ham and cheese well, I'll just say the struggle was real.

   Well, the long-awaited recipe is ready so let's jump in. First make your cheese sauce, called bechamel sauce. Add 2 tbs of butter to a warmed pan and when it melts add 2 tbs flour and mix until golden brown. Then add a quart of pre warmed milk to the roux. The pre warmed milk makes the sauce come together at least 5 mins faster. Then add a dash of nutmeg, Dijon mustard, and a pound of Gruyere cheese. I personally use half Parmigiano, but I like the nuttier flavor. Build your sandwich by browning the lower piece of bread so it doesn't get soggy. Start with the brown end facing down add your sauce some ham and cheese and bread then add a little more sauce than cheese and broil until the cheese is bubbly and delicious. Then enjoy.

   In making this week's blog I got some good news that I have been waiting for about a year. I'm being moved over to a bartender position at my work, so it'll be easier to save for this lavish trip I'm so excited for. As always if you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email me or comment below... Be Blessed!!!