Jack's Croque-Monsieur - not for the Cholesterol Police

By Jack Gilpin

Jack Gilpin gives away a secret. His recipe for a popular French snack is a bit fancier than the welsh rarebit with a couple of bits of streaky bacon you sometimes find in the cheaper cafés.

You can always rely upon the French to add a certain je ne sais quoi to even the simplest food ...including the humble bacon sandwich. The croque-monsieur (which becomes a croque-madame if you top it with a fried egg) is a great favourite in French cafés, and there are as many methods of crafting it as there are cafés! This one works for me. But, please be warned ... it's not for calorie-counters, the Cholesterol Police or those of a nervous disposition, and may be hazardous to your chances of attending your grandchildren's weddings!

Gently fry two rashers of smoked back bacon over a very low heat, while lightly buttering two slices of soft-grain bread. When it's cooked to your satisfaction, remove the bacon from the pan, and pour in about a teaspoon of olive oil.

When the oil is warm, place one slice of bread, butter-side-down, in the pan.

Spread Boursin cheese on the upper side of this slice, lay the bacon on it, then slices of any sliceable cheese ... I recommend Port Salut or Pont l'Evêque. Cover with the remaining slice of bread, butter-side-up, pressing down lightly.

Fry gently, until the butter on the upper slice just starts to melt, and measure how long it takes. Turn the sandwich over, and continue to fry for the same time again. If you forgot to time the first half, but want a croque-madame, the time it takes to fry your egg is about right.

On a croque-madame, a drop or two of Tabasco sauce, or a light sprinkling of Cayenne pepper adds the finishing touch to the egg.

The word 'croquer' means to crunch. A croque is a crunchy snack. In practice, croque-mosieur is not that crunchy, because it's made of soft 'pain de mie'.

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