Croque Monsieur

Croque-monsieur

Ingredients10

• white sandwich bread8 slices
• cooked ham200 g
• Gruyère cheese200 g
• unsalted butter40 g
• all-purpose flour30 g
• whole milk300 ml
• Dijon mustard2 tsp
• nutmeg1 pinch
• salt1 pinch
• black pepper1 pinch

Method

1. Melt 30 g butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute without browning.
2. Gradually whisk in the milk and simmer, stirring, until the béchamel is thick and smooth. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then take off the heat.
3. Grate the Gruyère. Stir half of it into the warm béchamel until melted.
4. Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on 4 slices of bread. Top each with ham, a little of the remaining cheese, and a second slice of bread.
5. Spread béchamel over the tops and sprinkle with the rest of the Gruyère. Melt the remaining butter and brush the undersides.
6. Bake at 200°C for about 10 minutes, then grill briefly until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve hot.