Croque Monsieur

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C for 10 min and line a baking tray with baking paper. Take the butter out so it softens.

   oven

2. Make the béchamel. Melt the béchamel butter in a 14 cm saucepan over medium-low heat, add the flour and whisk for 1 min; it should foam without colouring. Pour in the cold milk in three goes, whisking until smooth each time, then raise to medium heat and keep whisking for 3 min as it bubbles. When it is thick enough that a finger drawn through the sauce on the back of a spoon leaves a clear line, take it off the heat and season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

   Add in this stepButter (for the béchamel) 15 gAll-purpose flour (plain flour) 15 gCold whole milk 150 mlGround nutmeg 1 pinchSalt 1 pinchBlack pepper 1 pinch

   medium-low heat→medium heat

3. Spread one side of each slice of bread thinly with soft butter. Lay half the slices buttered side down on the tray and spread each with 1 tsp of béchamel. Fold the ham to fit the bread, add about a third of the cheese and cover with the remaining slices, buttered side up.

   Add in this stepSandwich bread (white pan loaf, 1 cm slices) 4Soft butter (for the bread) 10 gSliced cooked ham 80 gGrated Gruyère or Emmental 24 g

4. Spread the rest of the béchamel thickly over the tops, right to the edges, and scatter over the remaining cheese.

   Add in this stepGrated Gruyère or Emmental 56 g

5. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 200°C for 10 min, until the bottoms are golden and the sauce bubbles. Then switch the oven to the grill (broiler) setting and cook for another 2 min, until the cheese has brown spots. Stay close; it can burn in seconds.

   oven

6. Leave for 1 min, then cut diagonally and serve warm with a green salad.