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~ Living & Cooking in France

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Category Archives: Breakfast

Croque Monsieur or Madame

28 Thursday Sep 2017

Posted by Nadia in Breakfast, Cheese, General, Sauces

≈ 21 Comments

Tags

bistro meal, Cheese, classic french, croque, croque madame, croque monsieur, grilled cheese, lunch, sandwich, toasted cheese

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At its best a croque monsieur is a strong contender for the world’s finest cheese and ham sandwich.  It basically is a french gourmet version of the grilled cheese.

There are very few ingredients but to make the classic bistro favourite, each ingredient must be of the best quality and of course the right choice.

So as this is a sandwich, it makes sense to start with the right bread. A good croque monsieur is both crisp and tender. You need a soft yet firm white sandwich bread, (pain de mie), reasonably thick slices. Some people like brioche for their croque because it’s both soft and buttery, but any high-quality white sandwich bread is good here.

Next the cheese. The traditional is a delicious gruyère. Gruyère is a firm, slightly elastic mountain cheese with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour. Most importantly for our purposes, it melts magnificently, but a good comté or cantal is just as good. Freshly grated is very important. You do not want to use pre grated and packaged.

Next is the ham. Again here, not any old packaged ham. Nice medium sliced french ham is best.

Of course, there is one thing that sets the croque apart from other great cheese and ham toasted sandwiches, namely that it arrives at the table drowned in golden and bubbling bechamel sauce.

The croque monsieur often comes accessorised with dijon mustard, the acidic heat tempering its outrageous cheesiness.

And of course if you wish to make a croque madame, it is exactly the same thing but with a fried egg added on top.

Makes 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 thick slices white bread
  • 8 slices ham, preferably Paris ham (jambon blanc)
  • 150g / 5oz. Gruyère, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
béchamel
  • 30g / 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 30g / ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 250ml / 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F
Béchamel: Melt the butter on low heat
Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes Add the cold milk, bit by bit, while whisking continuously
Add the nutmeg and season to taste
Allow to thicken slightly
Pour into a bowl, cover with cling film or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes
Spread some of the cold béchamel on each slice of bread
Add a bit more than half of the grated cheese onto 4 slices of bread
Place a slice of ham on top of the cheese
Close the slices of bread by placing the slices with béchamel on top of the slices with the cheese and ham, béchamel side inside
Press firmly to close
Spread the remaining béchamel on the sandwiches and top with the rest of the grated cheese
Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper
Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until they are golden brown
Serve immediately
Bon Appétit!

 

 

 

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Tortilla with chorizo

13 Wednesday Sep 2017

Posted by Nadia in Appetizers, Breakfast, General

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Breakfast, brunch, chorizo, eggs, lunch, omelette, potatoes, spain, tortilla

 

 

IMG_3056In Spain, a tortilla is a kind of omelette, with ingredients added – frequently sliced cooked potato and onion. However, over in Mexico, a tortilla is a kind of flat unleavened bread. This recipe is the Spanish version. Works beautifully as breakfast, brunch, lunch or apéro.

Makes about 10 pieces (can easily be doubled or tripled)

Ingredients:

400g / 13oz potatoes (preferably firm, waxy)
1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
115g / 4oz cooked chorizo
4 eggs

Preparation:

Peel, wash and dry the potatoes
Cut them into thin slices
Heat the oil in a large skillet
Sauté the onions and potatoes for 5 minutes, uncovered
Cover the pan and cook a further 10 minutes, stirring frequently
Season to taste
Remove the skin from the chorizo and slice into thin rounds
Add to the skillet and cook another 10 minutes
In a bowl, whisk the eggs lightly
Pour the eggs into the skillet on top of the potatoes and chorizo
Cook about 6 minutes without stirring, until the eggs are firmly set underneath but not set on top
Invert the tortilla on to a plate and return the pan to the heat
Slide the tortilla back into the pan, uncooked side down, and cook for 5 minutes until set all the way through
Serve cut into cubes, hot or cold
Enjoy!

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Muffins with chorizo and olives

15 Saturday Jul 2017

Posted by Nadia in Appetizers, Breakfast, General, Pork

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

apero, chorizo, lunch, muffins, olives

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These are so quick and easy to make. Perfect for apéro or kids lunchboxes, even breakfast.

makes 18 mini muffins

Ingredients:

200g / 8oz strong chorizo, diced into small pieces
80g / 3oz green and/or black olives, pitted and cut into pieces
2 eggs
225g / 8oz flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
125g / 1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1 heaped tablespoon strong Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dried oregano
50ml / 1/4 cup milk
80ml / 1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 190C / 380F
Line 18 mini muffin trays with paper muffin cases (I used a silicone muffin tray)
Mix the flour, baking powder and oregano in a large bowl
Make a well in the center and add the yoghurt, oil, milk, eggs and mustard
Mix well with a fork
Add the olives and chorizo
Add salt and pepper
Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Enjoy!

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