← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 20 g Butter
• 20 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
• 250 ml Milk
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 8 slices slices of white sandwich bread (pain de mie)
• 20 g soft butter, for spreading
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 8 slices thin slices of cooked ham (about 200 g)
• 150 g Gruyère, grated
• 4 Eggs
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat, stir in the flour for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer for 3 min, whisking, until thick. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
2. Heat the grill to high. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Lay 4 slices buttered-side down on a baking tray, spread with mustard, then add the ham and half the cheese. Top with the other slices, buttered-side up.
3. Grill for 2–3 min a side, until golden on both sides.
4. Spread the béchamel thickly over the tops, scatter with the rest of the cheese and grill for 3–4 min more, until bubbling and browned in patches.
5. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a little butter over medium heat for 3 min, until the whites are set and the yolks still runny. Slide one onto each croque and serve hot.

Tips

• Without the egg, this is a croque monsieur.
• Thick béchamel stays put on the toast; if yours is runny, simmer it a minute longer.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Serious Eats olive magazine