It must be the cheese - making Croque Monsieur - Brief Article - Recipe

Sunset, Sept, 2001 by Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

That favorite Parisian grilled sandwich, the croque monsieur, is making a lively comeback on menus chic and plebeian

* One diners' dictionary on my desk translates croque monsieur as "crunch, sir." To the French, it means a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, which (happily) American cooks are taking considerable liberties with. First, James Beard added mustard. District restaurant in New York recently served a version with whole-grain mustard and bechamel sauce on brioche. In Minneapolis, at Brasserie Zinc, the ham is rippled on top of a split baguette and topped with bechamel and a layer of gruyere. In San Francisco, at Baker Street Bistro, the cheese sauce is spread both in the sandwich and over the top; then the bundle is broiled. Personally, I've never met a croque monsieur I didn't like. This one--with a nod to Beard and the Baker Street Bistro--and a green salad make a mighty fine petit meal.

Croque Monsieur

PREP AND COOK TIME: 20 to 25 minutes

NOTES: Have ham cut at the deli counter in your supermarket.

MAKES: 4 sandwiches

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 to 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth

1/4 cup milk or whipping cream

6 ounces gruyere, Swiss, or fontina cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

About 1/16 teaspoon fresh-grated or ground nutmeg

8 slices firm white bread (each about 4 in. square and 1/2 in. thick)

1/4 pound very thinly sliced cooked ham (see notes)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stir shallots in 1 tablespoon butter. Stir often until golden, about 3 minutes. Add flour; stir until blended. Remove from heat and add broth and milk; whisk to blend well. Return to heat and whisk until mixture is boiling vigorously. Remove from heat and add cheese and nutmeg; stir until cheese is melted. Pour sauce into a bowl. Rinse and dry pan.

2. Lightly butter one side of each bread slice and lay buttered sides down on a board. Divide half the cheese sauce equally among 4 slices; spread sauce to edges. Lay ham equally over sauce. spread mustard equally on unbuttered sides of remaining 4 bread slices; invert each onto a slice topped with ham.

3. Put frying pan on medium heat. Lay two sandwiches in pan; cover and cook until well browned on the bottom. Turn with a spatula and brown other sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer sandwiches to a 10- by 15-inch pan and keep warm, uncovered, in a 200[degrees] oven. Repeat to cook remaining sandwiches. Spoon remaining cheese sauce equally over sandwiches; spread slightly over edges.

4. Broil sandwiches about 4 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and lightly browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Per sandwich: 496 cal., 45% (225 cal.) from fat; 26 g protein; 25 g fat (13 g sat.); 38 g carbo (1.7 g fiber); 1,201 mg sodium; 82 mg chol.