Captain Holt's signature stone-faced empathy is on display in this heartwarming act of culinary affection, a memory in the form of a sandwich. But not just any sandwich: the cheesy, hammy, gooey French brasserie classic, Croque Monsieur. Let's hear how incorrectly I can pronounce things this week as we recreate this toasty brunchtime delight.
Ingredients
Pain de Mie Ingredients:
150 ml milk
225 ml water, lukewarm
85 g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ¼ tsp kosher salt
35 g granulated sugar
30 g nonfat dry milk
35 g potato flour
575 g all-purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
Bechamel Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
Nutmeg, grated
Sprinkle white pepper
Kosher salt
Croque Monsieur Ingredients:
Pain de Mie bread
3-4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
Bechamel
6 slices ham
Croque Madame w/ Brioche Ingredients:
Brioche bread
3-4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
Bechamel
6 slices ham
Dijon mustard
1 large egg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Monte Cristo Madame Ingredients:
Brioche bread
3-4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
Bechamel
6 slices ham
Dijon mustard
1 large egg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs (egg mixture)
½ cup milk (egg mixture)
1 Tbsp butter, melted
Powdered sugar
Method
Pain de Mie Method:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 150 milliliters of milk, 225 milliliters of lukewarm water, 85 grams of unsalted room temperature butter, 2 ¼ teaspoons of kosher salt, 35 grams of granulated sugar, 30 grams of nonfat dry milk, 35 grams of potato flour, 575 grams of all-purpose flour, and 2 teaspoons of instant yeast.
Place in the base of a stand mixer, assert a fixed dough hook, and mix on low speed for 2 minutes until the dough just starts to clear the sides of the bowl. At this point, turn the speed up to medium-low speed and allow it to knead for 5-6 minutes until a smooth dough has formed.
Place the dough into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto a non floured work surface and punch it down to prepare to let rest in a loaf pan.
Thoroughly lubricate the pan with butter then shape the dough into a loaf by pressing and stretching into a rectangle (slightly wider than the intended pan) then fold it up from the center, press it down, then fold it in from the edges and then fold the whole thing on top of itself. Ultimately folding into the length of the intended bread pan.
Place the dough into the pan, lightly pressing it down into the corners, covering with plastic wrap and letting rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours until risen just below the lip of the pan.
Cover the pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray and then wrapping tightly two times with aluminum foil.
Once covered or wrapped, bake at 350°F for 25 minutes before removing from the oven and unwrapping. Place back in for another 20 minutes until lightly browned and a thermometer inserted into the center registers between 190°F - 200°F.
Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for about 1 ½ hours before slicing into thick slices.
Bechamel Method:
In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it stops spattering, the stage right before browning. Make sure to swirl regularly.
At this point, add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and whisk into a thick paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until the raw flour dissipates.
At which point, slowly add 1 cup of cold milk by adding in stages.
Once the cup of milk has been added and there are no lumps in the corners, continue cooking for 5-7 minutes until nice and thick.
Quickly season with grated nutmeg, a sprinkle of white pepper, and a generous pinch of kosher salt.
Whisk to combine and cook for 1 minute until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Cover and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before sandwich assembly.
Croque Monsieur Method:
Start by toasting two pieces of pain de mie bread then shred 3-4 ounces of gruyere cheese.
Spread a couple of tablespoons worth of the bechamel on the bottom slice of the bread, just enough to cover it.
Top that with a generous amount of gruyere cheese along with 6 slices of ham, topping with another generous amount of gruyere, spreading the bechamel on the top slice of bread before placing on top.
Before toasting, spread another layer of bechamel on top of the sandwich and another layer of gruyere cheese.
Place into a 375°F oven until thoroughly brown and bubbly.
Croque Madame w/ Brioche Method:
Start by toasting two pieces of brioche bread then shred 3-4 ounces of gruyere cheese. Spread a couple of tablespoons worth of the bechamel on the bottom slice of the bread, just enough to cover it.
Top that with a generous amount of gruyere cheese along with 6 slices of ham, topping with another generous amount of gruyere, spreading the top slice of bread with dijon mustard before placing on top.
Before toasting, spread another layer of bechamel on top of the sandwich and another layer of gruyere cheese.
Place into a broiler until thoroughly brown and bubbly.
Optionally top with a fried sunny side up egg seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Monte Cristo Madame Method:
In a pie holder, beat and combine 2 large eggs and ½ cup of milk to create a custard/egg mixture to dip the bread into.
Preheat the slices of ham in a microwave before shredding 3-4 ounces of gruyere cheese. Spread a couple of tablespoons worth of the bechamel on the bottom slice of the bread, just enough to cover it.
Top that with a generous amount of gruyere cheese along with 6 slices of ham, topping with another generous amount of gruyere, spreading the top slice of bread with dijon mustard before placing on top.
Place a flat plate to flatten the sandwich before placing it into the custard for 15-20 seconds on each side.
In a nonstick pan with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, drop the sandwich in and fry for about 5 minutes on each side.
Plate it up once it’s finished frying and top it with powdered sugar and a sunny side up fried egg.