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SIMPLE PLEASURES: The croque monsieur is usually served in cafes with a green salad on the side. Photo: Le Péché Gourmand.
With winter announcing its (somewhat early) arrival during the past few days, our thoughts turn to comfort food and preparing something as simple as it is tasty. The croque monsieur has a traditional and easy recipe that derives from France. This version takes advantage of local produce and can be made in advance before toasting.
Croque Monsieur a la bretonne
Ingredients:
- two thick slices of crusty bread
- Isigny creme fraiche (can be replaced with sour cream)
- Aged Gruyere cheese
- Swiss emmental cheese
- Noix de jambon (can be replaced with prosciutto)
- Clarified butter
Recipe:
- Preheat sandwich press.
- Spread creme fraiche on the inside of each slice of bread.
- Cover the inside of one slice of bread with Gruyere cheese, then layer the Noix de jambon, then another layer with Swiss emmental, finally, the last layer with noix de jambon.
- Put the top slice of bread with creme fraiche face down.
- Butter the outside of each slice of bread with clarified butter.
- Let it set for 10 minutes in the fridge, then cook for five minutes in the sandwich press.
- Serve with a side salad, and bon appetit!
Recipe supplied by Le Péché Gourmand.
Croque monsieur - 4 fast facts
- This tasty toastie originated in French cafes during the early 1900s, and loosely translates to "mister crunch".
- A croque madame (which is French for "madam crunch") is a common variant of the dish, topped with a poached or lightly fried egg to symbolise a lady's hat.
- The croque monsieur made a lasting impression in the 2009 film, It's Complicated, inspiring food bloggers to post about Meryl Streep's sandwich-making scene and include their own version of this simple pleasure.
- A croque monsieur must always be made using white bread and is occasionally covered in Béchamel sauce - unequivocally cementing its place as the ultimate comfort food toastie.
This advertising feature is sponsored by Le Peche Gourmand.