Croque Monsieur

When I was in France about 10 years ago, I was first introduced to the Croque Monsieur and couldn't get enough. It's a simple enough sandwich - basically a grilled ham & cheese. I've had several different ones throughout the years at French restaurants in my area, and while good, nothing really compared to the sandwiches I had in France. So, when I found this Ina Garten recipe, I had a hunch it would be good. And Ina didn't let me down. It was everything I remembered the sandwich being.

Croque Monsieur

Recipe from Ina Garten, adapted

Serves 2

Prep Time - 5-10 min

Cook Time - 25 min

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP butter

3 TBSP flour

2 cups hot milk (not skim)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch nutmeg

6 oz grated Gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

4 slices white bread (thicker is generally better)

mustard (we used regular but Dijon is traditional

4-6 slices deli ham

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat and add the flour and stir till combined. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of Gruyere, and the Parmesan. Whisk until combined and set aside.

Toast the bread by placing it on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn over each slice and bake for another 2 minutes.

Lightly brush two of the slices with mustard. Add about 2 slices of ham to each (maybe 3 if your bread is thick. Put a couple tablespoons of the cheese sauce on top of the ham and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere (about 1/4 of the total remaining on each). Top with another piece of toasted bread.

Slather the tops of the bread with the cheese sauce and then put the remaining Gruyere at the top (NOTE - You will have cheese sauce left over. I used my leftovers to make a really delicious mac & cheese). Bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and bake for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Steak au Poivre

I believe I've mentioned before that I discovered a love of steak less than a year ago. It's stuck with me. I've been trying to perfect my pan frying technique to produce the optimal medium rare steak. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Earlier this week, I decided to give steak with a pan sauce a go and found Ina Garten's recipe for Filet au Poivre. I figured you can't go wrong with Ina.

This recipe is super simple and pretty fun to make. In all, I think I'm more of a steak purist and prefer them without any sauce, but it was a nice change and I would definitely recommend this to friends. I do recommend, however, using a less expensive cut of meat than a filet.


Filet of Beef au Poivre
Recipe by Ina Garten
Serves 6 (I cut the recipe down by half)
Total Cook & Prep Time - 25 min

INGREDIENTS
6 filet mignon, cut 1 1/4 inches thick (I used 2 - I don't remember the cut)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped shallots (3 to 4 shallots)
1 cup canned beef broth
1/2 cup good Cognac or brandy (I used brandy)

DIRECTIONS
Place the filets on a board and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the filets with salt and then press the black pepper evenly on both sides. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the butter almost smokes. Place the steaks in the pan and lower the heat to medium. Saute the steaks for 4 minutes on 1 side and then for 3 minutes on the other side, for medium rare. Remove the steaks to a serving platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, pour all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the saute pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until reduced by half, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Cognac/brandy and cook for 2 more minutes (NOTE - do not lean over the pan and inhale as the alcohol is burning off. Trust me on that one). Off the heat, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve the steaks hot with the sauce poured on top.

Steak & Potatoes

I love steak. I discovered it about 9 months ago after thinking I didn't like it. Despite that, I was hesitant to try making one at home. Turns out, it's really easy. Nothing to be afraid of. You should try it. If you do, you can have a meal like this at home.


Here's what you do:

1. Buy a good steak. It doesn't have to be filet mignon, but get a good cut of meat. Avoid "No Name Steaks" at all costs, unless you enjoy eating stew meat.
2. Let it sit out about 15 minutes.
3. Coat with a little bit of olive oil and then season liberally with salt & pepper on both sides. Let it sit out like that for about 30 minutes.
4. After about 30 minutes, heat a couple TBSP butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Fry the steak for about 5 minutes on one side, then flip and fry for about 4 minutes. Try really hard not to flip it more than once. For a 1-inch thick steak, this will give you medium-rare.

See, doesn't that sound easy?

These roasted potatoes go great with it:

Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Recipe by Ina Garten, adapted
Serves 3-4
Total Cook & Prep time - 1 hr, 10 min

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture) (I like reds)
1/8 cup good olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves (If you don't have fresh, omit. Don't use dried)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for about 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning (be careful not to burn the garlic, or it will get bitter tasting).

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.