Croque Monsieur {Les Chefs de France} ⋆ The Recipes Of Disney (2024)

FAQs

What does croque monsieur mean in French? ›

A croque monsieur (French pronunciation: [kʁɔk məsjø]) is a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese. The name comes from the French words croque ("crunch") and monsieur ("gentleman").

A croque madame is simply a croque monsieur with a poached or fried egg on top. The difference between the two sandwiches has to do with how the egg is incorporated into the rest of the ingredients: In a croque monsieur, the bread is dipped into the beaten egg before it's cooked (French toast-style).

Because France's famous croque monsieur is not just a ham-and-cheese sanger, but a creation that has a claim to being the world's greatest sandwich: two slices of white bread, filled with layers of leg ham and gruyere or Emmental cheese, plus a little Dijon mustard, toasted until crisp and gooey, then topped with the ...

Whether they follow the original recipe, based on ham, béchamel and cheese, or indulge in a little more originality, with chicken, raclette cheese or a vegetarian version, croque-monsieurs can be enjoyed all year round in Parisian restaurants.

Croque Monsieur (French hot ham and cheese sandwich) While it's thought of as a brunch/breakfast, Croque Monsieur is typically served as lunch in France with a side of fries and simple salad.

France's most famous sandwich, the croque monsieur, is one such dish. On the surface, it's nothing more than a warm ham and cheese sandwich. But the croque monsieur is a perfectly harmonious and delightfully decadent sandwich, and its preparation is something of an art.

Croque monsieur is meant to be eaten with a knife and fork, as the French do. That way you can eat it when the cheese is still hot and gooey. If you'd like to make some changes, I could see replacing the ham with bacon or sautéed mushrooms, though you couldn't technically call it a croque monsieur.

While the croque-monsieur can be eaten with the hands, which in some ways is the definition of a sandwich, its spouse the croque-madame cannot be. That's because a croque-madame is identical to a croque monsieur, except with a runny fried egg added on top.

croquer (manger):

to crunch.

In literature, it first appeared in Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time', published in 1918, but had featured on Parisienne menus as early as 1910. And you will not be judged if you pop a fried egg on top, but remember the name changes to a Croque Madame, as the fried egg suggests a lady's hat!

How much is a croque monsieur in Paris? ›

Croque Monsieur will run you around 7-9 euros and a salad 12 -15 euros.

The name comes from the word croquer, meaning to bite, and monsieur, meaning mister, translating overall as gentleman's sandwich. Historically a Croque Monsieur is made using standard sliced white bread, but some people use a sweetened version such as brioche.

I like Croque Monsieur as a quick and simple dinner served with a pile of arugula or field greens on the side and a glass of white wine. Preferably a Sancerre from the French Loire Valley to temporarily make you forget you are sitting in your own kitchen and not one in France. A good dish will do that.

A Monte Cristo sandwich is a variation of the croque monsieur, but with the addition of sliced turkey added the ham and Swiss cheese. Also, this sandwich is dipped in an egg batter, like French toast, and pan-fried instead of grilled, until golden brown.

In its native France, a croque Monsieur is mainly eaten for lunch or an evening meal along with a crisp green salad or maybe some shoestring chips. In other parts of the world it may be eaten with a small bowl of tomato soup. You can also cut a golden croque monsieur into fingers and serve it at a co*cktail party.

The Origin Story

Most croque monsieur origin stories point to Le Bel Age café and proprietor Michel Lunarca as the instigator of the croque. It's said that around 1910, the so-called “crunchy mister” got its name when Lunarca told patrons his broiled sandwiches featured “mister meat.”

The word croque comes from the verb croquer, meaning “to bite” in French and monsieur means “mister” or “sir.” Like many recipe origin stories there's a few different versions, but most place the croque monsieur showing up in the early 1900s.