Croque-Monsieur (1915)

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:07 PM -0500 3/25/03, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>    Or, in these times, a ham and cheese sandwich.

Or a freedom rarebit.

>   Not in OED, but of
>interest to it and anyone doing a book on sandwiches.
>    A web search gives a "1910 Paris" date and place of origin, but I haven't
>seen an English citation.  Someone found a French citation from 1919.  There
>is also a "Croque-Madame."  The sandwich has hit New York City:
>
>http://www.newyorkmetro.com/urban/guides/bestofny/food/BONY2001_food_croque_mo
>
>nsieur.htm
>
>    Actually, I was looking for Belgian fries...
>
>
>THE BELGIAN COOK BOOK
>edited by Mrs. Brian Luck
>London: William Heinemann
>1915
>
>Pg. 144:
>_ENTREE (Croque-Monsieur)_
>Cut out some rounds of crumb of bread, of equal size, with a tin cutter, or,
>failing that, with a wine-glass.   Butter all the rounds and sprinkle them
>with grated cheese--for preference with Gruyere.  On half the number of
>rounds place a bit of ham cut to the same size.  Put a lump of butter the
>weight of egg into a pan, and fry with the rounds in it, till they become
>golden.  When they are a nice colour, place one round dressed with cheese on
>a round dressed with ham, so as to have the golden bread both above and
>below.  Serve them very hot and garnished with dried parsley.
>_E. Defouck_