The French toasted sandwich that puts every other toasted sandwich to shame

There is a moment, somewhere between spreading the béchamel and watching the cheese bubble golden under the grill, when you realise you have been doing toasted sandwiches wrong your entire life.

The Croque Monsieur is technically not a toasted sandwich at all. It is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a rich, nutmeg-scented white sauce and a generous avalanche of melted Gruyère – and it is one of the great comfort foods of the world. You will find it on blackboards in Parisian cafés and bistros from Lyon to Montmartre, ordered at zinc counters with a glass of something cold, eaten standing up without the faintest feeling of guilt.

The Croque Madame is the same thing with a fried egg placed on top, said to resemble a lady’s hat. She is, if anything, even better.

Both are perfect for autumn and winter – the kind of thing you make when the days are getting shorter and you want something warm, savoury and deeply satisfying without spending much time in the kitchen. The béchamel sauce takes five minutes and you cannot skip it. It is the whole point.

Croque Monsieur & Croque Madame

Servings 2

Ingredients

4 thick slices of white bread (pain de mie or sourdough)
120 grams good quality leg ham, thinly sliced
100 grams gruyère cheese, grated (or Swiss or comté)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
30 grams unsalted butter
30 grams plain flour
250 milliliters full-cream milk, warmed
1 pinch pinch of nutmeg
2 eggs (for Croque Madame only)
1 knob of butter for frying eggs

Method

1 Make the béchamel sauce: Melt 30 grams unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 30 grams plain flour and stir constantly for 4 minutes 04:00 to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually add 250 millilitres full-cream milk, warmed a little at a time, whisking after each addition until completely smooth. Continue cooking and stirring for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper and 1 pinch of nutmeg. Set aside.

2 Toast the bread: Preheat your grill to high. Lay all four slices of 4 thick slices of white bread (pain de mie or sourdough) on a baking tray. Spread a thin layer of béchamel on one side of each slice. Place under the grill for 2 minutes until lightly golden.

3 Build the sandwiches: Spread 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard on the béchamel side of two slices. Lay 120 grams good quality leg ham, thinly sliced evenly over the mustard. Scatter half the 100grams gruyère cheese, grated (or Swiss or comté) over the ham. Top with the remaining two bread slices, béchamel side up.

4 Top with béchamel and cheese: Spoon the remaining béchamel generously over the top of each sandwich, spreading it to the edges. Scatter the remaining 100 grams gruyère cheese, grated (or Swiss or comté) over the top.

5 Grill until golden: Place under the hot grill for 3–4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling, golden and beginning to brown in patches. Watch carefully – it can go from perfect to overdone quickly.

6 Add the egg (Croque Madame only):  While the sandwiches are under the grill, melt 1 knob of butter for frying eggs in a small frying pan over medium heat. Crack 2 eggs (for Croque Madame only) gently into the pan and fry until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny – about 2 minutes. When the sandwiches come out of the grill, slide a fried egg on top of each one immediately. Serve without delay.

Cheese choices: Gruyère is traditional and melts beautifully. Comté is even better if you can find it. Swiss cheese works well. Don’t use cheddar – it’s not wrong exactly, it’s just not a Croque.

Make ahead: You can assemble the sandwiches with mustard, ham and béchamel up to a few hours ahead and refrigerate. Grill just before serving.