While we were in France recently, we had a couple of croques, both monsieur and madame, and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that there are few other things I’d rather have as a light lunch. I know you can’t really go wrong with whats essentially posh cheese on toast, but when you add an egg, something good becomes something special.
There are different shapes, sizes and methods, but the common ground is in the cheese which is usually either Emmental or Gruyère (a combination of the two might be rather good), and I prefer the sourdough bread version as opposed the the white processed one.
It’s not rocket science, but there are a couple of touches and flourishes to make your croque extra tasty, so lets crack on.
Ingredients (per serving)
1 large slice of good sourdough bread, sliced about half an inch thick
A handful of grated emmental cheese
2 slices of good quality smoked ham
Dijon mustard
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste
One of the joys of roasting a chicken is that there are usually leftovers. In fact, we normally buy a bigger bird so there’s more chicken left. This French chicken sarnie is one way to do those leftovers justice. It may be a bit more fiddly than your average sandwich, but as usual, the more love you put in the more flavour you get out.