Croque Monsieur Sandwich: The Old Versus The New Recipe ( Cooked in a frying pan)

Join my online French cooking classes 👨‍🍳: learn.thefrenchcookingacademy... Croque Monsieur: The Old Versus The New Recipe .
Croque monsieur sandwich is one of the oldest and best known toasted ham and cheese sandwich there is. it is a french recipe that originated from parisian cafe in the 1900 and its simplicity has conquer the world.
today we look at the new (modern) and old recipe of making a croque monsieur using a frying pan as it was done back then. that will give us some crunch. color and goodness in the same time.
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[@mattmilford8106]

I make something similar all the time. Instead of fussing with a dainty little brush though, just melt a pool of butter in the skillet and drop the bread in. It's the same on all sides. Sometimes I add pickled jalapeños and call it a "Croque Señor".

[@steventheartist7667]

You just saved me, and helped me to start my business, street food vendor Orlando florida....merci mon anmi?, la Martinique influence

[@34jared]

How the sophisticated French burn a grilled cheese with half a pound of butter. Can't wait to try !

[@loverainthunder]

This is just how I make my ham and cheese, apparently I've been making a French dish!☆

[@hurktang]

I love the french "hein" interjection in a middle of an english sentence so picturesque !

[@steventheartist7667]

I would like to see a Playlist of just crusty French Bread 🥖 sandwiches,many different types of sandwiches 🥪 which is a great snack or lunch, in France 🇫🇷 in the streets of France. Beautiful French sandwiches,

[@socalbeeguy8041]

I'm on day 24 of a water-only fast, and the crunch of that thing just about killed me.

[@bubbygong]

Thanks for another great video! Appreciate the two different ways it can be made. I like the history part of food that you gave too!

[@RubyTwilite]

I had an old recipe where you grated the cheese and mixed it with a spoon of red wine and some dijon mustard and spread that on the bread. It was insanely delicious!

[@tmpawlikiewicz7891]

My 10 year old daughter made this and loves the sandwich.😊

[@MisterJeffy]

I enjoyed the detail Stephan provided in this video very much. Careful step by step instructions like this are hard to find, but they make all the difference between the ordinary and the sublime. I prefer the old version. To me the details improve the appearance, the texture and the flavor, making it better. Thank you so much, Stephan.

[@JadeStrawberry]

I don't know. They both look good but think the old fashioned version looks the best. Thanks.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

my favourite too 😋😋👨🏻‍🍳

[@webosm6494]

Often the second one is better. Same with for instance pancakes. Pan more fully and evenly heated and already have some butter from the previous one.

[@rickved]

@@webosm6494 Even browning, not black and white bread to eat.

[@TitoTimTravels]

I have always cut the crust because I have an old croque monsieur iron. You have to trim the crust so it fits inside. The iron goes on your hob and seals the sandwich. Makes an amazingly crunchy shell shaped sandwich. Totally unnecessary, but fun.

[@usaneebeilles9510]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge/experiences. I’m appreciated.

[@kirstd8198]

The old fashioned version is so cool. It looks divine.....

[@mariewhitman8758]

I always thought these Croques Monsieur were supposed to have bechamel. When I had them locally, the croque monsieur ( at both places) they were covered with bechamel.

[@ramamlyhandsomy]

Looking at other recipes it definitely does have bechamel. So does the croquet madame.

[@monenu1007]

I was wondering about this too! But years ago when I was traveling in France and had to stop by a little town in the middle of nowhere for lunch, I had the Croque Monsieur, they had it done without bechamel. So I guess it's not "require" to have bechamel for it to call "Croque Monsieur", I guess.

[@LesaBear612]

I thought the sandwich was dipped in egg and then fried. That’s what I had years ago, in Paris.

[@rasgum7]

@@LesaBear612 That would have been a Monte Cristo

[@WaTed1978]

They are.

[@bovineexcrement8635]

One of the places I worked at would slice the pullman loaf the long way, used a fish pan, cutting it triangles served with french fries of course

[@arthas640]

2:50 Me: maybe I should listen to him and save these crusts? Dog: dont listen to him Chickens: yeah, what the hell does he know?

[@shinycat01]

I put some mayo or garlic aioli and pepper as well, so delicious! I had a croque monsieur in Strasbourg once, it was different, thick bread and thick slice of ham....a man sized meal that I had to share. Love your work!

[@axiomist1076]

Id definitely go with the old fashioned "stringy" one. Like you said, it gives a higher ratio of cheese to bread. Delicious!

[@isaaclo1016]

Thanks for sharing this recipe. I love it. However, I have changed it a bit in my third attempt by combining egg in the basket. The result was also amazing. Thanks again.

[@ChefsBackyard]

Thank you! I will make my sandwiches without crust from now on.cheers! Butter 🧈 makes everything better 👍😋

[@anniehyams1169]

Lovely tasty and yummy for a light meal thank you so much for the lovely video

[@ottocubed9520]

That was classic!...the passion! true philosophy chef.

[@crowdaddy13]

Been waiting all day for this one. Thanks chef!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Thanks and this is just the beginning 😀😀👨‍🍳👨‍🍳😋😋 more croque on the way next week

[@crowdaddy13]

Update.... I just finished this meal. The family loved it, especially the kids. This went great with tomato bisque.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Yummy with the tomato bisque that's makes me hungry 😋😋 glad the kid liked it

[@kimmckenzie5276]

The scene in It’s Complicated, when Meryl Streep makes one, it’s a beautiful scene.

[@rebbattt7526]

thanks this helped for school french food project

[@trufflehunter58]

Moi, je préfère la méthode traditionelle! And I agree with you about the "regression" of modern cooking. The last time I was in Paris, I ordered a croque monsieur from a café across from Le Jardin du Luxembourg. It was single slices of bread topped with shredded ham and grated cheese and grilled. Like a pizza. I was horrified!

[@mariewhitman8758]

Thanks for sharing that, Wayne. That is why I watch chefs born in the country of the cuisine I am interested in- because I want to learn the authentic, traditional recipes, not fusions and "modernized" versions. It is sad, and a tremendous loss when countries lose their culinary traditions. I love this channel because it teaches traditional French cuisine, from simple to elaborate.

[@jamespoule8813]

Looks devine. In my own version, I add a large slice of tomato (lightly peppered) . Double devine!!!!

[@mosttoothless]

Simple, yes, but simple perfection.

[@robynjthomson]

the old version for sure, did you hear that crunch!!!! bellissima

[@pastorofmuppets325]

"Belle"... French for Beautiful. Bellisima is Italian...

[@robynjthomson]

Pastor of Muppets I know..

[@michellechilton3345]

Gorgeous....and the sandwich looks good aswell 😉

[@mattb917]

I grew up on grilled cheese with ham.Wow. My mom is classic French chef and never knew it. Can't wait to tell her.

[@reasonablyserious]

It's bistro style, so of course it's simple

[@iambyrdman]

Wow, look at the cheese squeeze out of the second one when you cut it. Well done, thanks

[@axiomist4488]

Those little ones, with the string, look like the kind of sandwiches ladies eat at tea. It's tiny and dainty, so they can pick it up with their finger tips and nibble on them. I would need two of those, or, if I were hungry, maybe four. They are definitely better than the classic, though .And both of them are very easy to make . Delicious .

[@juliebergacker5680]

I liked the old fashion one! Thank you 😋

[@faithpon9324]

Thank you for the side by side comparison of past and present. Please do more. I like the classic best.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Yes since that been well received I will take you guys through the whole lot of the French croque monsieur world 😋😋👨‍🍳

[@Ramseds87]

Misto-quente! Eu comendo comida francesa minha infância toda e nem sabia...

[@pickledone9698]

I make an italian version of this with ciabatta crispy pancetta and provolone cheese the sweeter one. The outside is buttered and coated with pecorino or grana padano both very hard cheeses,use the fine grater for better coverage. The string idea would well for this as the ciabatta can get very soft before crisping up. Once the pecorino has crisped up flip and season with salt flakes. Yumm

[@awwwyeaboyeeee]

This is excellent, thank you.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks

[@bellad.1274]

??? NOT a "Croque Monsieur "!! I enjoyed the video and techique- but honestly, this is a plain "grilled cheese with ham". Its good, but with a bechamel sauce, done properly-- it is GLORIOUS!! and definitely worth the extra effort. This Chef is wrong, but at least he is cute :-)

[@lw7108]

Très joli. Très simple. Joyeux noël.

[@dianebonneau2350]

💕☕️🥚love both. my mom and grandmother taught me the modern versio

[@jerrybobteasdale]

With your brush, paint one outside layer of the bread. Place it, butter-side-down, in pan. Paint top outside layer of bread with butter.

[@outinspace3083]

I'm going to make a croque monsieur, with ham, cheddar, turkey, swiss (like a restaurant around here makes it) coat it in egg like a monte cristo, add bechamel and cheese, then add an egg like a croque madame. BOOM! 3 sandwiches in one!

[@hmtrimworks7148]

Swap the cheddar out with some gruyère or anything else, then you’re talking

[@bnkundwa]

My favourite

[@user-qp3pu5yv1e]

What’s the purpose of the string? Seems completely unnecessary to me? I am certain I could flip the sandwich w/o the string...

[@occamsox5331]

Perfectly, repeatedly, say 25 times, while also cooking another 3-5 items perfectly? The string makes it easier. Easy is priceless in the kitchen.

[@barristanselmy2758]

@@occamsox5331 The string is lovely. I love it so much. It's glorious. And it stops everything from moving around to much. And you get those little bits of crusty fried cheese.

[@JanaPersson]

Two concurring reasons, actually. With the narrower piece of bread after the crusts are removed, the center of gravity of the croque is raised. At the same time, the bottom piece of bread is absorbing butter and expanding slightly, except for at the edges, where the bread is simultaneaously dehydrating, thus shrinking a little (no crust, remember), making the bottom piece of bread rounded. Also, the cheese melts on the outside first, increasing this effect of sloping towards the edges. Now you can easily imagine the top piece of bread sliding down one of the sides, ruining the dish. I guess also that ample supply of cheap labour in restaurants certainly helped for this solution.

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

@Pone Vongsouvan : Hahahaha! A true gormand!

[@MeanMustard650]

Occams OX nah dude, any kitchen I’ve worked in would be like “why the duck are you wasting time tying each sandwich”. If you don’t know the reason behind something, don’t make something asinine up.

[@Gee-xb7rt]

my grandmother used to cut the crust off of sandwiches, now I know why.

[@johaneriksandberg]

I don't care what anyone says, it should have a thin spread of mustard on the ham!

[@patriciatreslove4449]

The old way every time for me, love it with a poached egg on top

[@svenservette4197]

That's a croque madame.

[@HKgaming86]

who tf put's a poached egg on a Croque? should be a fried egg my dude

[@rickbawden988]

I like to fluff out a recipe and make it my own. So in this case triple smoked leg ham, Havarti and Monterey Jack, shallot and tomato. To the béchamel I added a couple of tsp's of Dijon mustard and sprinkled, home blend of herbs over tomato and shallots. Worked give it a shot.

[@austincrawford9604]

That's interesting bc in culinary school, I made it with béchamel and I'm curious where that comes from, or what you think of that.

[@mattzegarski3831]

I am certain that the Académie Francaise approves of "Whoop-ah!".

[@bobhenskens3568]

Escoffoier walks out into the hotel lobby and says, I think I'll have a Crocque for lunch today.

[@billmacp]

Where’s the bechamel sauce??? You’ve been away from France too long 😞

[@Nellis202]

Exactly

[@corinerobillard7543]

the old fashioned version is the best version...it looks fantastic and you had me with all the details and effort that went into that one.....yummy!!

[@kevinbaird7277]

This is not a croque monsieur, no way, I made a CM last week, homemade bread, no crusts, bechamel sauce using Gruyere, ham from a cooked joint, topped the sandwich with bechamel and into the oven, delicious.

[@jakemonster001]

Ever make a grilled chess sandwich with Swiss cheese on Sourdough bread? So good.

[@jkMontreal]

So good. Now I'm hungry...

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

Why grate the cheese when you can buy pre-sliced! Indeed! I agree about cutting off the crust. Every good sammich has NO crust! I make the same thing in a flour tortilla: it's called a quesadilla :) I love that string handle, so easy to flip over while you add a fresh bit of butter and let it melt! I might try cutting a flour tortilla into a square, using a string, and see how it turns out! Thanks!

[@ritinfek]

Im wondering what pan you used - ist seems to be a really sturdy one - pls let me have the producer - thank you.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

That is a debuyer blue steel frying pan

[@juliebergacker5680]

Wonderful😍👍

[@tomreally598]

ONE OF MY BEST VERSION OF IT IT IS WITH SOURDOUGH BREAD TOASTED THEN ADD PARMA HAM , MOZZARELLA CHEESE , BITS OF BLUE CHEESE ON THE TOP , TOAST IT AGAIN WITH A FRIED EGG TO TOP IT UP !

[@Mungobohne1]

What is wrong Tom ?

[@caezium.133]

Freezing the bread first is also great for applying butter without breaking the bread.

[@thebewitchinghour831]

It's a fancy grilled cheese. I make mine with mayo, bologna and cheese too. Pretty good.

[@dandog7840]

maybe the string was to hold the prepared sandwich together with a half-dozen more on a tray in the cooler....ready for short order...

[@zackc5973]

Could be. But it was probably to be extra. Nothing wrong with that. I make mine the same as the old fashioned, minus the string, lol.

[@barbaramcm8602]

yum

[@Raiden_N7]

That's a beautifully seasoned de Buyer Acier Carbone pan. The sandwich looks pretty delicious too.

[@brianyoung3]

Your Croque Monsieur looks a lot better than the one I ordered for lunch in Paris. Bread, ham, bread, grated cheese on top and under the salamander until bubbly. It was quite disappointing and I was still hungry after!

[@Breboi17]

I love your accent !!

[@kone_magency]

J’aime bien le classique , chef .

[@occamsox5331]

Cutting the crust off really is key for a grilled sandwich.

[@tshampoo7762]

Thanks

[@tshampoo7762]

Fond that absolutely fascinating!

[@laurakirk9988]

Old fashioned, yes!

[@jillhoward1452]

They didn't have plastic to wrap their bread in 1900, so of course the crusts were hard quickly. Interesting to see that cutting the crusts off still makes a difference with pain de mie.

[@EricValor]

I kinda like crust on my bread, especially now that we have soft crusts. And I prefer the modern version with beschamel for the extra richness. Otherwise it's just a hot ham and cheese which I like on rye (sometimes with sauerkraut) with spicy brown mustard and double Muenster or Jarlsberg. I actually prefer the Croque Madam. I had never heard of either until a few years ago when I had a Madam for brunch and it totally changed my life.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Well good news it's coming Tuesday 😋👨‍🍳

[@UndrState]

Great vid

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks 🙂

[@dimitarstoyanov9932]

Thanks for the video! It is really interesting. I have a question on the recipes. If those are the original recipes, what is the matter with the one having bechamel sauce as well?

[@zackc5973]

The one with the bechamel is called a croque madame. You can add it to a croque miseur if you want, though.

[@hmtrimworks7148]

@@zackc5973 No... they are both made the same... The only difference between a croque monsieur and a croque madame is croque madame has fried egg on top

[@zackc5973]

@@hmtrimworks7148 oh, sorry every croque madame ive seen had bechamel on it.

[@hmtrimworks7148]

@@zackc5973 yes... the Croque Monsieur & Madame would both have béchamel on them... the only difference is a fried egg on top would change the Croque Monsieur into a Croque Madame

[@Jlyka34]

I thought the thing that made the croque monsieur different was the fact the cheese went on the outside/top of the sandwich - regardless of if there was bechamel or not? I usually just put ham between the bread and then sliced comte or emmental on top. Great video as always!

[@SamGiannakoulias]

Bonjour Stephane. Could you please teach us how to make a traditional French lemon tart?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Hi there 2 people now asking for lemon tart 🙂🙂 I am not the best at baking so I need to see how I could do that

[@snifferdogx]

I CAN DO IT!!!!!

[@JanaPersson]

For some reason I was pretty sure there had to be some Dijon mustard in the original recipe. Perhaps this is a Swedish idiosyncrasy, or hypercorrection. Or maybe the person or institution that first introduced it here in Sweden had picked up some local variant, and the variation became the standard. Because it is certainly nearly always presented with a smear of mustard on the ham over here. And I quite like it too! What type of cheese would you recommend for it? Gruyère de Comté?

[@jeffharris7531]

Thanks again for the details Stephan. I prefer the old fashioned 1900s style. The butter transforms the bread into an extraordinary rich but light, crunchy pastry. It's a pleasant surprise and is very different from the soggy messes I've eaten made with white sauce. I have one question. Can you help, please? I've made the old fashioned version in both a new freshly seasoned, French rolled steel skillet like yours, and in a nonstick skillet. My steel skillet leaves an unpleasant metallic/fishy taste in the butter that permeates the sandwich. The non-stick pan leaves a pure butter flavor. Is there any way to get rid of the metallic /fishy taste my new steel skillet is producing?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

If you get a fishy taste in the metal you must have use this pan with fish at some point. This is why in France we have fish pans that you only use for fish. If you have not cooked fish in there then something else you are using is giving that smell. It could be that you pan is not seasoned enough but at the end of the day there is no problem using a non stick pan for that , especially if that works for you 🙂

[@Youngboyfan42069]

I have made like 100 croque monsieurs in my life without knowing what one even was

[@MeanMustard650]

Exactly why the French shouldn’t claim this sandwich. If you have a basic understanding of cooking this shit comes naturally.

[@Ketharuil]

@@MeanMustard650 probably why French bistros broil it with beschemel.

[@kennyrogers803]

Mmmmm..... I really like your pan fried cheesy sandwiches!! That taste so delicious and crispy sandwiches!! Great recipe!! See u anytime!!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Thanks more croque recipes to come look forward for next week videos

[@kennyrogers803]

French Cooking Academy You are so welcome!! Have a great day too!! See u soon!!

[@1LSWilliam]

I never once had bechamel sauce with a croque! Not in 50 years and at some of the best bistros in Paris!

[@sislertx]

Hint...use mayo as butter....u will love it much more. The burning point is much lower..and it browns it more.evenly.and quickly...use for.grilled cheese.too.

[@AndrewLale]

'Whoopa!' Channeling Chandler Bing.

[@Raachen]

7:24 is my favourite :D

[@nathanchase1297]

Chef, in the other croque monsieur videos you toast both sides of the bread (inside, too!). Can you tell me what you think is best and why? Is is simply personal preference from person to person? Also, in the other videos you toast the bread via a toaster or oven. In this video you pan fry it. Is this also a matter of personal preference? Thank you!

[@hervenanfa2852]

this is a ham sandwich, to have a croque Mr you need to have a bechamel sauce on it ant out of it and the crust need to be cheesy thats why you using the gratted cheese. Mon cher il faut respecter les normes

[@ashleyng323]

Exactly what I was thinking : where's the bechamel

[@ixchelssong]

When I visited Paris with my high school French class, We had Croque Monsieurs on the street (delicious!) no cheese on outside, and no bechamel sauce. Not needed!

[@chilldude30]

@@ixchelssong lol, shut up dude.

[@borbetomagus]

@@ashleyng323 This video was part of a (unmentioned here, I think) four video series from April, 2018: 5 tips to Help You Make The Perfect Croque Monsieur (Parisian Grilled Sandwich) -- posted on April 3, 2018 -- /watch?v=WeErSY95TOc Croque Monsieur Sandwich: The Old Versus The New Recipe ( Cooked in a frying pan) -- posted on April 6, 2018 -- /watch?v=7RUsONXuI6g This White Sauce Cannot Get Any Better: Morel Infused Bechamel Sauce -- posted on April 10, 2018 -- /watch?v=gC-WcEfeA5k The 2 Ultimate Parisian Snacks: Croque Monsieur & Croque Madame Sandwich (Tutorial) -- posted on April 13, 2018 -- /watch?v=FEKohTH10HU His next video expands to other French grilled sandwiches -- 3 French Grilled Sandwiches you need to try -- posted on April 17, 2018 -- /watch?v=LTAsUQzqGKY

[@RickD5468]

You are thinking of the Croque Madame.

[@persona2grata]

So, a grilled cheese with ham and the crusts cut off? Apparently I've been serving my nephews fancy French food for years.

[@mauriziagiusti1559]

Un banale toast solo unto e pure vuoto!

[@jamesjacocks6221]

Croque Monsieur sandwiches are made all over France and I see the one with Béchamel only in the bistros. I have grown to prefer the Croque Madam and wonder if you would show that variant. I hope French cooking doesn't just become a convenience act because the rest of the world is too busy to make things properly. Savvy cooking is quick and proper but it takes some study.

[@Elena-zm4fc]

What is Croque Madam? I also would like to see how to cook it.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

I have a video on that on the channel

[@Elena-zm4fc]

French Cooking Academy Ok, thank you.I will look.

[@ed10523]

Id Love to try the 1900 version for a change of pace.

[@smoothbeak]

This is what I think of as a "ham and cheese toasted sandwich" basically!

[@williamhendrix3253]

doesn’t it usually have sauce bechamel on it?

[@hennayatsu6969]

That's for croque madame

[@williamhendrix3253]

hennayatsu6969 no, croque madame just has an egg on it

[@TitoTimTravels]

The monsieur should have bechamel, the madame just adds an egg... but he did say it was a home version...

[@williamhendrix3253]

Sophie I think I’ve had had it with mornay sauce. good either way

[@wvman2374]

@Sophie I've made it this way before for restaurants, due to already having mornay sauce on hand. the bech and cheese essentially become mornay anyways when cooking the sandwich

[@summerd2756]

Used to run home and make this sandwich... we called it a fried balcony sandwich...🤓

[@zackc5973]

But... a fried bologna has mustard, not cheese. If it has cheese I always called it a bologna and cheese, lol.

[@cindyleandre3999]

J'aime Croque Monsieur!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

merci 🙂

[@hankc200]

nice

[@BaronGaigern1930]

i always think, croque monsieur is topped with a thick layer of bechamel or mornay sauce and than grilled under salamander.