CROQUE MONSIEUR

Well, at least we know how to say it now.  The only thing you need to know how to do to make this delicious French sandwich is to make a Bechamel sauce.  A recipe is on this site.  The tricks to making a really good Bechamel are to cook the flour long enough, add the room temperature milk slowly, and whisk vigorously.  I actually made the Bechamel ahead of time and let it cool, then refrigerated it.  When I spread the sauce on the sandwich it had the thickness of a whipped cream or mayonnaise.  Watch the sandwich when you put it under your broiler because it goes from perfect to scorched quickly.  And, then let it cool a few minutes before you bite into it.  Most recipes call for Gruyere cheese but I used my favorite — the Sartori cheddar that has a nutty Parmesan taste and comes in the black package.

And on the subject of how to pronounce, “monsieur,” I would suggest that the following clip from Sabrina (1954) with the beautiful Audrey Hepburn can also answer that question.  If you haven’t seen this classic Billy Wilder movie, watch it now.  You’ll never crack an egg without thinking about Audrey Hepburn again.