Everyone has had a bad croque-monsieur. Soggy bread, industrial cheese that melts without really browning, béchamel absent or replaced by a smear of crème fraîche slapped on haphazardly. This version puts an end to all that: homemade béchamel, double layer of cheese, grilling. It’s a dinner dish that deserves you to sit down.
When it comes out of the oven, the cheese forms an uneven surface, partially caramelised, with those little golden bubbles that characterise good gratine. Underneath, the béchamel has penetrated the bread without drowning it, creating that intermediate area halfway between melting and soft. The smell in the kitchen mingles browned butter, hot cheese and a hint of nutmeg. When you stick a knife in, the inner cheese starts to stretch.
