Instructions: You could say that the croque-monsieur is nothing more than a grilled ham and cheese, but that would be like saying truffles are candy. You must, however, use the very best ingredients or, alors, your croque-monsieur will taste like its American counterpart. These are rich, so two, made on small rounds of bread, are generally enough for one serving. Serve with a bowl of soup.

1 small loaf country French or Italian bread (I use Grand Centrals seeded Pico)

1/3 pound paper-thin, air-dried imported ham, such as French-style ham, or Italian prosciutto (see note)

1/2 pound of the best gruyere cheese
Butter (not margarine)

Cut the bread into 16 3/8 inch slices. Cover 8 of them with a layer of the ham and thin slices of the gruyere. Top with the remaining bread slices. For those who want their sandwiches even cheesier, grate the remaining cheese on the large side of a hand grater and set aside.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Butter 1 side of the sandwiches and place them, butter side down, in a heavy skillet, weighted down with a heavy plate. When the sandwiches are almost brown, butter the face-up side and flip to brown the other side. If you are planning to use the reserved cheese, brown the second side only slightly, sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and heat under broiler until the cheese melts and browns.

Note: French-style ham and prosciutto are available at most specialty markets.

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