Croque Monsieur

I like to walk up Rue des Martyrs, turning left on Rue de Navarin, and make a right to arrive at Buvette. The first time we visited Buvette, it was in New York. Sitting by a miniature table, we ordered olives and something more I can’t recall anymore. There was a cup of cappuccino for one and a glass of rosé wine for the other. The atmosphere was almost like in Paris, which I discovered a few years later and have visited many times since then. And that was the place I ate a very, very good Croque Monsieur for the first time. We arrived for a late breakfast and a very early lunch, practically the only ones at the restaurant. A plate with Croque came, followed by waffles and scones with butter and orange jam. We sat by the window, oranges in a wooden box next to us, appreciating the closeness of Sacre Coeur and the magic of Paris. It was a hearty breakfast, the one that start the girls love affair with Buvette and Croque Monsieur.

8 slices of pain de mie or toast bread
4 large or 8 smaller ham slices (jambon blanc)
300 g grated Gruyère cheese (or Comté, Beaufort, Abondance)
fresh oregano leaves

bechamel:
15 g butter
15 g wheat flour
260 ml full-fat milk
1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
tiny bit of freshly grated nutmeg
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

Start with the Bechamel sauce (you can make it the previous day). Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour. Stir continuously until it forms into a paste — this is called a roux. Continue cooking while stirring for 2 minutes. Add approximately 80 ml of milk, mixing vigorously, and then continue with the rest of the milk, adding it gradually and stirring until you have a smooth sauce. Add rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Take it off the heat for 15 minutes, or cool it and place it in the fridge till the next day.

Heat the oven to 200°C. Spread four slices with a bit of sauce. Place a bit of cheese on top. Add ham and then again some cheese. Top each with a slice of bread, a generous amount of sauce, and the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle with oregano. Place them on a pan (I like to place baking paper underneath) and put them into the oven. Bake until heated throughout and the cheese bubbles (about 15 minutes). I start by placing them in the middle of the oven and then transfer them to the upper level at the end, which makes browning easier. Serve hot with salad, mustard, and gherkins. And, I love to add some harissa, which is not at all French.