Croque monsieur explained

Croque monsieur
Country:France
Type:Sandwich
Served:Hot
Main Ingredient:Bread, butter, ham (typically boiled), cheese (typically Gruyère), pepper and salt
Variations:Croque madame

A croque monsieur (in French pronounced as /kʁɔk məsjø/) is a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese. The name is French for "crunchy gentleman."

History

There are references to the dish before the end of the 19th century. In 1891, French: [[La Revue Athlétique]] mentions them:

In the early 1900s, bistro owner popularized the croque-monsieur.[1]

Preparation

A croque monsieur is traditionally made with baked or boiled ham and sliced cheese between slices of pain de mie, topped with grated cheese and lightly salted and peppered, and then baked in an oven or fried in a frying pan. The bread may optionally be browned by grilling after being dipped in beaten egg. Traditionally Gruyère is used, but sometimes Comté or Emmental cheese as well. Some brasseries also add béchamel sauce.

Croque monsieur may be baked or fried so that the cheese topping melts and forms a crust.[2] [3]

Variations

A croque monsieur served with a poached or lightly fried egg on top is known as a croque madame[4] (or, in parts of Normandy, as a croque-à-cheval). According to the Petit Robert dictionary, the name dates to around 1960. The name croque-mademoiselle is associated with its lighter, vegetarian version: made of the same bread, but with ordinary melting cheese, accompanied with chives, cucumber and lettuce.[2]

In the United Kingdom, a ham-and-cheese hot snack is called a toastie, and toastie makers are available to buy. In the United States, the Monte Cristo (a ham-and-cheese sandwich often dipped in egg and fried) is popular fare in diners.[5]

Variants of the sandwich with substitutions or additional ingredients are given names modeled on the original croque-monsieur, for example:

NameAdded ingredientsReference
Barros JarpaVariation with same ingredients from Chilean cuisine[6]
Barros LucoMade with roast beef instead of ham
Croque provençalTomato[7]
Croque auvergnatBleu d'Auvergne cheese[8]
Croque norvégienSmoked salmon instead of ham
Croque tartifletteSliced potatoes and Reblochon cheese
Croque bolognese / Croque Boum-BoumBolognese sauce
Croque señorTomato salsa
Croque HawaiianSlice of pineapple
Croque gagnetGouda cheese and andouille[9]
Croque MadameFried egg
Croque monsieur with bechamelStandard croque monsieur topped with bechamel sauce
FrancesinhaVariation from Portuguese cuisine with steak, sausage, ham, melted cheese and a beer sauce

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: La savoureuse histoire du "croque-monsieur" . fr . 2019-04-04 . Le Figaro . 2023-09-24.
  2. Web site: Croque-monsieur et croque-madame font des enfants . 18 March 2009 . aufimin cuisine suisse . fr . 21 August 2015.
  3. Web site: Croque monsieur au four . Cuisine actuelle . 21 August 2015.
  4. Book: Dictionnaire général pour la maîtrise de la langue française, la culture classique et contemporaine . Larousse . Paris . 1993 . 405 . 2-03-320300-X . 29916226.
  5. Web site: History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. 6 February 2018. 8 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210308120813/https://www.tripsavvy.com/history-of-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-1329090. dead.
  6. Book: Russo . Susan . The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches.
  7. Web site: All the Croque Monsieur Recipes You Will Ever Need. 2011-08-06. 2016-10-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20161020034538/http://frenchfood.about.com/od/toprecipes/a/croquelist.htm. dead.
  8. News: Bread Winner . Los Angeles Times . David . Downie . 23 July 2000.
  9. News: Tracing the History of the Croque Monsieur Sandwich Paris Blog Oui Always Have Paris. 2015-08-11. Oui Always Have Paris. 2018-10-06. en-US. 6 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181006235503/http://ouialwayshaveparis.com/2015/08/11/croquemonsieur/. dead.