We recently began a unit on restaurant conversation in French class. As if the tantalizing promise of summer wasn't enough of a distraction, I now find myself daydreaming about eating warm croissants and breaking off pieces of fresh baguettes when I should be conjugating prendre in the past tense. One worksheet we were given for this unit had step by step illustrations of a recipe for a croque-monsieur.
The croque-monsieur, a french classic, is simply a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with melted cheese. On the handout each step was accompanied by a simple cartoon, beginning with two thick slices of bread, spreading on soft butter, topping with grated cheese, and finishing with the toasted sandwich - melted cheese falling slowly down the sides - being removed from the oven. Both my interest in french food and my hunger (French being my last class of the day) elevated this simple sandwich to gourmet status in my mind.
Upon further research I discovered the croque-madame - the monsieur's wife I suppose - an intriguing variation topped with an egg, sunny side up, and cheesy, white sauce.
It ended up being that cheesy sauce mornay that gave me the most trouble. While cooking the sauce I got caught up in the thickening process, watching as it became thicker and thicker, and lost sight of the consistency I wanted. I ended up letting it cook for too long leaving me with a sauce that was almost too thick to pour. Luckily there was some heavy cream left, so after a slight panic I was able to thin the sauce.
The finished sandwich was flavorful, incredibly rich, and of the must-be-eaten-with-a-knife-and-fork variety. It was very indulgent... and very French.
