Gulf News' Your Ramadan Table' food show: Croque Monsieur
Creamy Béchamel sauce, ham, and Emmenthal cheese - each bite leaves you wanting more
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
4 sourdough bread slices
30 gms all-purpose flour
30 gms unsalted butter
150 ml milk
1 gm nutmeg powder
30 gms Emmenthal cheese slices
30 gms Emmenthal cheese (grated)
40 gms smoked turkey ham
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Chives (chopped)
Method
To prepare this sandwich, start by heating a saucepan over a medium flame. Add butter and let it melt, making sure the butter doesn't become brown. Once it melts, add one and a half tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Stir continuously until the mixture becomes thick. Then, slowly add milk, little by little, while stirring continuously. Add salt, white pepper, and a pinch or two of nutmeg powder and combine well. Your Béchamel sauce is now ready.
Next, take a slice of sourdough bread and spread some butter on it. Add a few slices of ham on top of the bread, followed by a few slices of Emmenthal cheese. Place another slice of sourdough bread on top of the cheese and spread one tablespoon of the Béchamel sauce. Add grated Emmenthal cheese, season with black pepper, and assemble the sandwich.
Place the sandwich on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the sandwich and bake it in the oven at 160°C for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sandwich is slightly golden.
Once done, take the sandwich out of the oven, sprinkle some chopped chives on top, and serve it hot. Enjoy!
Tips
The thickness of the Béchamel sauce can be easily adjusted by adding or reducing the amount of milk used. It is versatile enough to be used in a variety of dishes, including pastas and sandwiches.
This sandwich, with a generous helping of Béchamel sauce, is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can come together to create a dish that is both satisfying and delicious. This recipe is for all the cheese lovers out there. Give it a try!
Join us for the next recipe tomorrow!
Do you have a favourite Ramadan recipe to share? Write to us at food@gulfnews.com .