Best Croque Monsieur With Caviar And Baby Watercress Salad Recipes

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; add flour and cook, whisking, until flour is absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let bechamel cool.
• Make the sandwiches: Trim crust from bread and slice lengthwise into four 1/8-inch-thick slices. Save remaining bread for another use. Working with one slice of bread at a time, spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce over one side of bread, followed by a layer of ham, a layer of cheese, and another layer of bechamel. Starting at one of the short ends, roll into a cylinder and wrap with plastic wrap. Repeat process with remaining bread slices, bechamel, ham, and cheese. Transfer sandwiches to freezer overnight.
• Make the mustard: Place wine, port, and grapes in a small saucepan over medium heat; let cook until saucepan is dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the jar of a blender along with creme fraiche and mustard; blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Remove sandwiches from freezer and let stand 10 to 15 minutes to defrost slightly. Heat enough canola oil to come up one-third of the side of a large high sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 325 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully crack eggs into skillet and cook until whites are set, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove eggs from skillet and keep warm.
• Place panko in a shallow dish. Unwrap sandwiches and coat with panko. Carefully add sandwiches to hot canola oil and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Drizzle mustard in a zigzag fashion on each of 4 serving plates. Cut each sandwich on the bias and place on prepared plates. Top each with a sandwich and a fried egg; serve immediately.

TROPICAL WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Thinly slice 1/2 small red onion and soak in ice water, 10 minutes. Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil with the juice of 1 lime and 1/2 orange in a large bowl. Add a 15-ounce can hearts of palm (drained and sliced), 1 sliced mango and 1 sliced jalapeno. Drain the onion; add to the salad along with 1 bunch trimmed watercress. Season with salt and toss.

WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss the greens with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a serving platter and scatter over the almonds and grapes. Serve.

BUVETTE'S CROQUE MONSIEUR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Make the bechamel: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, and slowly add hot milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup Gruyere.
• Lightly brush 4 slices bread with mustard. Add 1 slice baked ham to each, and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons Gruyere. Top with 4 more slices toasted bread. Slather tops with bechamel, and sprinkle with remaining Gruyere and 1/4 teaspoon herbes de Provence.
• Bake sandwiches until topping is lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Serve hot with cornichons.