The first time I encountered a Croque Monsieur was in a North Melbourne cafe, circa 2007. I saw it written on the blackboard menu and it was the only thing on there that I had no clue as to what it was. I had to order it!
As I waited in line for the girl taking orders at the till, I went through my order in my head as I normally do so I can just spit it out quickly and not hold up the line: one latte, one weak latte, one bacon and eggs on toast, a slice of banana bread and a cro...
cr....
crook?....
Crokay?....
Cro-queue?
Cro-queue Monsieur?
I swear my heart started beating a little faster. The cafe was packed and there were tons of people crowded around the front counter, the last thing I wanted to do was make a fool of myself by mispronouncing my breakfast. What if it ends up coming out "Cock Monsieur"? Quick order something else!
Too late, I was at the front of the line and the till girl was looking at me.
Me: Hi, uh...yeah I'll have a latte, a weak latte, uh....a banana bread, a bacon and eggs and...and....and uh....that.
Girl:(looking up at me) Sorry?
Me: That. (pointing feebly at the blackboard above her head)
Girl: Which one? (turning around to squint at the board)
Me: That one there (still pointing). Underneath eggs benedict? .....And above ricotta pancakes?.....(I could feel my cheeks turning pink)
Girl: (pauses) .....Oh Croque Monsieur?
Me: Yes! ( a tad too loudly) Croque Monsieur. (relieved grin breaking out on my face)
I kept my eyes fixed on the girl the whole time refusing to see any amused faces around me. I figured now was not the time to say "So, croque monsieur. Er, what is it?"
Well I needn't have worried. Ten minutes later I had something divine smelling plated in front of me. Hot bubbly butter cheese sauce on sliced slightly charred ham mingling with tangy Dijon mustard, all on a crunchy slab of grilled bread. The smell was heavenly! It was definitely worth the embarrassment.
Now that I'm living in Malaysia and with the nearest cafe serving this delectable breakfast ohh....say several thousand kilometres away, I make my own croque monsieurs at home. Make some with me? It's easy!
You'll enjoy the whole croque monsieur experience more if you eat it with a fork and knife, then use your fingers to pop the last crunchy bite in your mouth!
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Croque Monsieur (adapted from Taste.com.au)
I cut down on a lot of the butter and cheese, making this a less guilty version of the original recipe. I assure you though that it still tastes quite rich and very delicious.
Makes 2
Ingredients
15g butter, just a small blob
1 1/2 tsp plain flour
1/3 cup milk
40g gruyere cheese, grated (I only had low fat cheddar but it worked fine)
2 slices of chunky cut sturdy bread, ciabatta is good
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Few slices of ham
Method
Pop your bread in the toaster or under the grill. Make sure you toast both sides, remove and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the flour and cook for 1 minute without letting the mixture brown.
Add the milk and continue to cook over low heat for about 3-4 minutes or until thick. Add half the grated cheese, stirring to combine. Set aside to cool.
Spread the bread with Dijon mustard, place the ham and remaining cheese on top then pour the cheese sauce over the top and cook until golden and bubbling.
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And for the record it's kinda pronounced "Croq" Monsieur. Like 'crock' but not so harsh. *grin*
