The croque-monsieur, a french masterpiece

Sometimes I just have to read something or hear something on the radio or listen to people talking and I have an idea for the British Corner. Recently I was with a friend who ordered a croque-monsieur with salad and chips, it made me wonder where that name came from.

Croquer is to crunch, monsieur could be gentleman, so are we thinking of a gentleman’s crunchy sandwich ? It seems the origins of this very special French sandwich are not certain but it is thought that it was born when a bistro owner in Paris in the early 1900s ran out of baguettes. He used two slices of pain de mie, with bechamel sauce, ham and cheese and then into a hot pan and the croque monsieur was created.

A worldwide fame

Apparently it is said that when asked what was in the sandwich he replied ‘ la viande de monsieur’ , a joke that it was human meat and the story became a legend !

Whatever the history of the croque-monsieur is it has become a French speciality, when the bread is put into a hot pan the bread is toasted, the cheese melts and the flavours mix together in what has even been called ‘a French masterpiece’.

Its fame spread worldwide with many variations being created, some adding smoked salmon, herbs, tomatoes and of course the croque-madame wears a hat of a fried egg on top of the sandwich. I thought perhaps a vegetarian alternative would be a ‘croque sans monsieur’ but in fact it is called a croque-mademoiselle !

Some believe that the word ‘monsieur’ was added to give a degree of elegance to this symphony of flavours and texture. Even Marcel Proust mentioned the croque-monsieur in his writings.

I suppose people in the UK would call the croque-monsieur a toasted cheese and ham sandwich or a ‘toastie’ but this rather simplifies what is known as ‘the world’s greatest sandwich’ with all its tasty nuances. It is a rich, golden, famous sandwich that you certainly have to eat with a knife and fork !

A simple sandwich taken to new culinary heights

Well, my friend really enjoyed his croque-monsieur, he was slightly worried about the amount of calories in such a meal, but after all it is wintertime and we need warm, comforting food when it is freezing temperatures outside !

The croque-monsieur’s fame has spread far and wide and along with it many variations but it has an enduring popularity taking the simple sandwich to new culinary heights, an has become an emblem of French eating culture.