Serves 2
Ingredients
For the sandwich:
- 4 slices from a white sourdough or crusty white loaf
- 20g butter, melted
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100g grated gruyere
- 4 thin slices of smoked ham
For the bechamel sauce:
- 125mL milk
- 125mL cream
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 20g butter
- 20g plain flour
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- Nutmeg, ground
- Salt and pepper
For the mustard mayo:
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
Method
- First, make the bechamel sauce. Put the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves and onion in a small pan over a medium heat and stir together. Heat until nearly boiling, then turn the heat off and leave for 10 minutes to infuse. Pass the liquid through a sieve and discard the bay leaves and onion.
- Melt the butter with the flour in another pan and cook over a gentle heat until it smells biscuity. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring to a gentle boil, stirring regularly, then add the Dijon mustard, a sprinkle of nutmeg and salt/pepper. It should be a thick creamy sauce with a deep flavour.
- Brush the slices of bread with melted butter. Place them on a baking tray and toast one side under a grill, buttered-side up, until golden. Take them out and heat oven to 220C.
- Turn the bread over and spread each slice with a thin layer of Dijon, followed by a layer of the bechamel. Cover the sauce with grated gruyere, and then a slice of ham. Form the slices into two sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the sauce over the top slice and sprinkle more gruyere on top. Put the sandwiches in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Mix the mustard and mayo together and serve on the side.
