Serves: 1
Pils Béchamel
1½ cup (12 fl oz/355 ml) milk
4 Tbs (½ stick) butter
4 Tbs flour
8 oz (237 ml) pilsner at room temperature
4 oz (114 g) Gruyère, shredded
1 shallot
Pinch nutmeg
Salt
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat.
In a second saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour to the butter and mix well. Cook for 30 seconds on medium heat.
Add the hot milk to the butter pot and stir briskly until the milk begins to thicken. Slowly whisk in the beer until it is fully incorporated. Add the shallot and nutmeg and cook on low for 20 minutes. Whisk in the Gruyère until smooth.
Season with salt and reserve for the sandwich.
Croque Monsieur
2 slices sourdough bread
1 Tbs (½ fl oz/15 ml) Dijon mustard
3 slices Gruyère
2 oz (57 g) shaved ham
2 Tbs butter
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Place the 2 bread slices on work surface. Spread half the mustard on each slice of bread. Lay 2 slices of the Gruyère and the ham evenly on 1 slice of bread and top with the second slice of bread. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. When the butter begins to crackle, place the sandwich in the pan with the cheese side down. When the first side has browned nicely, add the second tablespoon of butter and turn the sandwich over and add the third slice of Gruyère to the top of the sandwich.
Transfer the sandwich to a cookie sheet and bake 7–8 minutes or until the cheese on top has melted sufficiently.
Remove from the oven, slice, and top with the béchamel. Serve with Espelette Citric Salt Seasoned Kennebec Fries.
Beer suggestions: Try a hoppier pilsner with this recipe, such as Firestone Walker Pivo Pils (Paso Robles, California) or Sixpoint Brewery The Crisp (Brooklyn, New York).