Chef Manish Kusumwal, corporate chef, Keys Hotels shares his recipe for the classic French sandwich.

A toasted and baked ham and cheese sandwich, Croque Monsieur finds its origin in French cafés and bars. 

A quick snack, it's heavy enough to be considered as a meal.

Ingredients

For the Béchamel sauce

• 2 tbsp butter (plus more for toasting bread in the pan)
• 2 tbsp flour/maida
• 1 cup warm milk
• A pinch of nutmeg

For the sandwich

• 4 thick slices of white bread
• Dijon mustard
• 4 slices ham (preferably pork ham, but you can also use chicken ham)
• 4 slices Gruyere cheese, sliced (can be replaced with a good cheddar, grated or sliced)
• 50 gm Gruyere cheese, shredded (can be replaced with cheddar)

Method

For the Béchamel sauce

• In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once it starts to bubble and foam, add the flour and whisk for another 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
• Add the warm milk and stir until smooth. Finish with nutmeg.

For the sandwich:

• Spread Dijon mustard on one side of each slice of bread.
• Apply the Béchamel sauce generously and evenly on two bread slices.
• Top the slices with even amounts of the ham and cheese. Then place the other two slices of bread on top to make the sandwiches.
• In a large skillet or a nonstick pan, melt another tbsp of butter. Add each sandwich and lightly brown on both sides. It should be slightly crispy.
• Place the sandwiches on a sheet pan and top with the Béchamel sauce.
• Pre-heat the broiler at 425°F. Top each sandwich with grated Gruyere and place under the broiler until golden brown. Serve hot.

Tip: Once you have made this sandwich, you can take it a notch higher by making it a Croque Madame by adding a poached or a fried egg on top.

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