Grilled Asparagus Croque Monsieur
Dijon mustard, gruyere, and asparagus come together to create the Grilled Asparagus Croque Monsieur. A vegetarian twist on the classic French sandwich.
Equipment
- Cast-Iron Griddle
Ingredients
Gruyere Bechamel
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 shallot halved
- 18 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup gruyere shredded
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt to taste
Grilled Asparagus Croque Monsieur
- 1 bunch asparagus wooden ends removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 slices whole wheat bread
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded, divided
- 1 batch Gruyere Bechamel see above
- Fresh thyme and sage blossoms for sprinkling
Instructions
For the Bechamel
- Pour milk into a small saucepan. Stud the shallot halves with whole cloves and add them to the milk along with the thyme and bay leaves.
- Heat the milk over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat just before the milk comes to a boil. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the milk and set it aside.
- Heat butter in a saucepan until melted. Whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook the roux until fragrant and light brown in color.
- Whisk the wine into the roux followed by the scalded milk. Continue to stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the gruyere, Dijon mustard and nutmeg. Taste and season with salt accordingly. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For the Sandwich
- Place asparagus in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and toss to coat.
- Heat a cast-iron griddle over a high heat until smoking. Add the asparagus and cook for five minutes, turning frequently. Remove the asparagus from the griddle and set aside.
- Place bread slices on a large baking sheet. Broil until golden brown on one side.Take the half toasted bread slices out of the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the Dijon mustard on the untoasted side of two of the slices.
- Place 10-12 asparagus spears on top of the mustard. Cover the asparagus with gruyere cheese. About 1/4 cup per slice. Flip the undressed bread slices over and return the baking sheet to the oven. Broil until the cheese on the asparagus has melted and the undressed slices are golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- Top the dressed slices with the undressed slices and cover with bechamel sauce. About 1/4 cup per sandwich.Top the bechamel with the remaining gruyere and place the sandwiches back under the broiler. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh thyme.