It is a must in bistros. Young and old alike love Croque-Monsieur. But how to rethink that without taking cabbage? At the request of Swiss Appenzeller cheese, cooking enthusiast Bastien Petit, author of the book Crocs (First Edition), envisions four original recipes full of flavor. Their common point? All of them boast this semi-cooked pressed cheese that originated 700 years ago. Gourmet, mountain, spring or seafood… which crock will crack you up?
Gourmet Croque-Monsieur
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 8 slices of country bread
- 2 confit duck legs
- 2 tbsp. fresh cream
- 4 tbsp. Sweet and Sour Mustard
- 300 g Appenzeller® Surchoix
- 4 red onions
- 1 lemon
- 2 golden apples
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 20 grams of unsalted butter
- Bell pepper
- salt flower
preparation
- Chop the onion and fry it in a pan with olive oil for 1 minute. Add lemon juice and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper.
- Peel the apples and cut them into quarters and then slices. Fry them in a frying pan with butter over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until they are soft but not stewed. Chilli then keep aside.
- Shred the duck legs. book Mix the crème fraîche, sweet and sour mustard and 100g of Appenzeller Cerkoix in a bowl.
- Proceed with the assembly. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place 4 slices of desi bread and top with onion, lemon, apple slices, sliced ginger Cut into pieces. Close with another slice of country bread and spread a generous layer of sweet and sour mustard cream on top.
- Bake under broiler at 180 degrees Celsius for about 5 to 10 minutes. The croquettes are ready when their tops are nicely browned and the Appenzeller® Surchoix has melted. Enjoy immediately hot.
Small +: Twist this recipe with pulled pork instead of duck to change up the flavor.
Mountain Croc-Mr
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 8 slices of country bread
- 16 pieces of grilled meat
- 400 grams of watercress
- 200 g Appenzeller® Surchoix
- 40 grams of unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Bell pepper
- fine salt
preparation
- Fry in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat with salt and pepper. book
- Proceed with the assembly. Butter 4 slices of country bread on the inside and place 4 slices of grisson meat on each. Then distribute the watercress and finish with the grated Appenzeller Sarcoix. Cover the crock with other slices of country bread.
- Preheat your sandwich maker.
- Lightly butter the plates using a brush or absorbent paper with pre-melted butter. Bake the crocks for a few minutes, until the country bread is browned and the Appenzeller sarkoix is melted. Serve immediately and enjoy hot.
Small +: If you don’t like watercress, you can make this recipe with baby spinach which you can saute in the same way as watercress.
Also to discover: Julie Andrews reveals her tips for a delicious and incredible croque-mancier
Spring Croc-Monsieur
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 8 slices of bread
- 16 green asparagus
- 4 tbsp. Basil Pesto
- 160 grams of sun-dried tomatoes
- 400g Appenzeller® extra
- 250 grams of fresh cream
- 1 handful of arugula
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 c. teaspoon chipotle (dried chilies)
- coarse salt
- Zaatar (Middle Eastern Spice Mix)
preparation
- To calibrate the size of your loaf, cut off the asparagus tails and remove the very fibrous parts. Peel and lightly peel the vegetables. Place them in a pan of boiling salted water to cook for a few minutes, then drain them (they should shrivel up a bit) and refresh under cold water. Sponge and reserve.
- In a bowl, mix grated Appenzeller® Extra with fresh cream. Add the chipotle, stir well and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius on the grill position.
- Proceed with the assembly. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place 4 bread slices. Spread a spoonful of pesto on each. Top with asparagus, cut in half lengthwise, half of the Appenzeller® extra cream, sundried tomatoes and a few rocket leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and close with another slice of bread, spreading Appenzeller® extra cream on top. Sprinkle a pinch of jataar on top.
- Bake under the broiler for about 4 to 6 minutes. The croquettes are ready when their tops are gratinated. Enjoy the heat.
Small +: If you don’t have chipotle (a dried and smoked preparation of jalapeño peppers), use espalette peppers.
Croce Monsieur from the sea
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 8 slices of bread
- 8 slices smoked salmon
- 160g Appenzeller® Extra
- 2 tbsp. Horseradish
- 4 tbsp. fresh cream
- 1/2 bunch dill
- 1 lemon
- 30 grams of unsalted butter
- 1 c. Coffee espelette pepper
- Bell pepper
preparation
- Prepare the dill cream.
- In a salad bowl, mix horseradish with 2 tablespoons fresh cream, lemon juice and a few sprigs of dill. Books are cool.
- Prepare Appenzeller® Extra Cream.
- In another bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of fresh cream with grated Appenzeller® Extra and Espelette pepper. Season to your liking without adding salt, the salmon and cheese are already salted.
- Proceed with the assembly.
- Spread 1 tablespoon dill cream, 2 slices smoked salmon, and 1 tablespoon Appenzeller® extra cream in a row on 4 slices of sandwich bread. Close with another slice of bread.
- Preheat your sandwich maker. Lightly butter the plates using a brush or absorbent paper with pre-melted butter. Bake the croquettes for a few minutes until the white bread is browned and the Appenzeller® extra cream has melted. Serve immediately and enjoy hot.
Small +: You can use smoked trout which will be less oily and slightly more delicate in taste.
Recipes for Appenzeller cheese conceived by Bastian Petit aka B’Cook