The Ultimate Croque-Monsieur, a French Classic to Savour

From Aboriginals to Paris: The Story of the Croque-Monsieur

Although Australian Aboriginals made a kind of precursor to the croque-monsieur with game meat and slices of flatbread, the real croque-monsieur as we know it today undoubtedly comes from Paris. But exactly where it comes from is still up for debate. Some sources claim that the croque-monsieur was already being served by the end of the 19th century, but the most popular legend places the first one in 1910 in a café in Paris called Bel Age.

According to this legend, Michel Lunarca, the café owner, had run out of baguettes to make sandwiches. So he decided to use two slices of pain de mie instead. He put a slice of ham between two slices of bread and covered it with cheese. After just a short time in the oven, he served up his new creation. His customers were delighted with the sandwich and were curious to know what it was called.

So, how did Croque-Monsieur get its name? A Vibrant Tale

The story behind the name 'croque-monsieur' is as colourful as the dish itself. At first, 'croque' just meant a slice of bread dipped in beaten egg and then grilled. Later on, the term 'croque' was used to describe anything that was crispy or crunchy.

The Bel Age café was known for its delicious sandwiches and attracted many customers, which made the competition envious. There were some strange stories going around about the owner, Michel Lunarca, including that he was a cannibal. When someone asked him what was in his new snack, he is said to have jokingly replied, 'human flesh'. The grilled slices of bread – 'croques' – were therefore filled with 'monsieur', and so the croque-monsieur was born.

This story might sound a bit far-fetched, but there's no way to ever really know where the name came from.

The Perfect Croque-Monsieur: The Right Ingredients

If you want your croque-monsieur to taste great, you need to use top-quality ingredients.

The Bread

You can use any type of bread, but you'll get the best results with slices of pain de mie. Sourdough, multigrain or brioche bread are also great options. It's really a matter of personal preference.

The ham

Make sure you use good quality cooked ham. I like my ham cooked on the bone as it's juicier. Just remember to remove the rind. Raw dried or smoked ham isn't suitable for croque-monsieur.

The Cheese

Preferences for what kind of cheese to use, can vary greatly. Emmental is a popular choice because it melts well and has a mild flavour. Gruyère and Comté are also great options. When I'm making croque-monsieur, I like to use a mix of Swiss Gruyère and French Comté.

Béchamel sauce or not?

With béchamel sauce, definitely! For me, this is the only real French croque-monsieur! It makes the snack a bit richer and much tastier.

Some chefs, like Pierre Hermé, Suzy Palatin and Pascal Aussignac, use crème épaisse instead of béchamel sauce to give a new twist to the croque-monsieur.

Getting Creative with Croque Monsieur

Let your creativity run wild and dare to try bold combinations in addition to the well-known variations.

• Croque Madame: the classic croque-monsieur with a fried egg on top.
• Croque Hawaï: add an extra slice of pineapple to your croque-monsieur.
• Croque Norvégien: Replace the ham with smoked salmon and use Emmental or mozzarella. For extra luxury and creaminess, add cream cheese with fine herbs and slices of cucumber.
• Croque Italien: Mozzarella, Parma ham, tomato and basil, like a Margherita pizza but with dried ham.
• Croque Végé: Cheese, tomato, courgette, aubergine and rocket.
• Croque Indien: Cheese, chicken, curry and caramelised onion.
• Croque Espagnol: Manchego, chorizo, capers, roasted peppers and onion.
• Croque Basque: Basque Idiazabal or Ossau-Iraty cheese, tuna in escabeche, anchovies, piparra peppers, pitted olives.
• Croque chèvre: goat's cheese, fresh figs, rocket, fried bacon and balsamic vinegar cream.
• Croque tartufo: the ultimate luxury croque with fontina, Parmesan cheese, porcini or eryngii mushrooms, truffle slices and olive oil.

The combinations are endless!

Recipe: The Ultimate Croque-Monsieur