Feeling Saucy

When I travel, there's the agenda set by the travel company, and then there is the agenda that I set for myself while I'm there:  buy fabulous shoes, get a good selfie by a monument, eat the yummy local foods.  In France, the yummy local food always includes (among other things) a croque monsieur purchased from a food truck, to be eaten outside in the sunshine and beautiful Parisian air.

I swoon for the savory, smoky cheese, the creamy sauce, the fresh Black Forest ham, the crusty French bread, and find my mouth watering the whole time I stand in line.  This whole time, I've never considered that I could make this treat for myself at home, and it's the bechamel sauce that held me back, to be honest.  The French are known for their sauces, and it seemed intimidating to try to master the bechamel--but this year has been a testament to the enjoyment that comes with trying intimidating things, so here we go.

The ingredients are assembled . . . 

I discovered that the trick to mastering a French recipe is the timing and the temperatures.  To get the butter, flour, milk, and nutmeg ready, I measured everything out so I wouldn't have to abandon the pot on the stove to go find stuff I need in the fridge or measure while the butter was melting--to the point of "frothing" but not burning.  Oof.  But I did it!  Here's the finished product:

After the sauce is done, I set about assembling the croque monsieur--two thick pieces of French bread, one side with Dijon mustard smeared on it, then Black Forest ham, a Gruyere cheese slice, and top with the other piece of  bread.  Then, you toast the sandwich like a regular toasted cheese until the soft French bread is golden brown, and put the sandwich on a cookie sheet and pour the bechamel sauce on it, and then finally top with fluffy, shredded Gruyere cheese layered over the sauce.  Then, you broil the sandwich until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Into the oven!  The house took on the smell that I know from the French food truck--I was hovering around the stove with a grumbly belly and a very interested nose, really hoping the taste was what I remembered, too.

And it was!  The savory, smoky cheese, the sweet, salty ham, the crusty bread . . . .  Just like I wanted!  The recipe makes two, so one was for dinner and the other was for tomorrow's dinner, and I'm happy to report that something magical happens with the bechamel that doesn't go soggy after being in the fridge, so the next night's dinner was just as delightful.  See?  It's just missing the waxed paper and chilled Schweppes soda to go with it . . . and, y'know.  The Paris city view.  

Delish!  And there's some sauce left over, so I have plans for that later this week . . . .   The 40 List is definitely teaching me to be less intimidated by my kitchen--stay tuned for the next challenge!