RECIPE: CROQUE MONSIEUR FOR TWO OR A CROWD

Have leftover ham after the holiday? Try a deliciously toasty French classic, the Croque Monsieur. Simply said, it is a toasted ham and cheese with Béchamel sauce on the top which is broiled until golden brown. This glamorous sandwich is fantastic party food because you can make a ton of them at one time using a sheet pan or you can slice a loaf lengthwise and make one large sandwich, slicing into wedges to serve. Chez fan-tas-tique!

INGREDIENTS

For 2; simply multiply if you want to make for a crowd

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 slices bread- if using sandwich bread, cut the crusts off. I like loaf bread sliced 1 1/2” thick
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
½ cup grated cheese I like Gruyere and Parmesan but use whatever I have
A pinch nutmeg plus ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, and a dash white pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon
2-3 slices of leftover ham, sliced medium thickness 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the broiler of your oven or toaster oven with the rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with foil. Sit out the milk before using it so it is not super cold.

Put the butter in a pan over a medium-low heat. Using a pastry brush, brush one side of each slice of bread with a bit of melted butter and put under the broiler until golden brown. Set aside.

Next, over medium-low heat, stir the flour into the remaining butter to make a paste. Cook and stir for one minute, then gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. You know it is ready when you can draw a line down the back of the spoon with your finger and it stays separated. Remove from the heat. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper; check seasoning.

Spread the untoasted sides of the bread with Dijon, then put the ham on top, followed by the half the cheese. Broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Top with the other slice of bread. Press down; I use a large spatula for this. Put the sandwiches on to the baking sheet you prepared and top with Béchamel sauce, allowing some to drip over the sides of the bread. Top each with the remaining cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until golden and bubbling, and serve immediately.

National Fried Chicken Day: Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

National Fried Chicken Day is July 6th! People usually associate Southern cooking with two things: BBQ and Fried Chicken. I probably need to get my passport revoked because I have not until today, put up a single blog post or recipe on fried chicken. Fried chicken is a lot like BBQ sauce or potato salad. Every Southern cook has their own version and usually, a couple of good stories to go with it. Here's mine...

My mom grew up in a children's home in Troy, Alabama during very hard times. The kids all had to have a job and my mom always preferred to be in the kitchen. Once a week there would be fried chicken and they would have to go out in the yard and catch the chicken, kill it, clean it and then help cook it. Ugh. Hard to imagine. Mom taught me how to cut up a whole chicken and her techniques for frying. Luckily, I never had to chase one down and well, you know. These days, I get the store to cut the chicken up for me but the rest of it is the same. The big secret is the buttermilk. Don't skip that step... makes the chicken so juicy and tender! Here is my mom's recipe...

Traditional Buttermilk Southern Fried ChickenTRADITIONAL BUTTERMILK SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken with skin, cut up (about 3 pounds)

2 cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon kosher salt + 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon black pepper + ½ teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon paprika

3 cups self rising flour

6-8 cups Canola oil for frying based on the size of your skillet or Dutch oven

Special equipment: Thermometer for frying and a meat thermometer

Put the chicken pieces in a large zip top bag. Pour the buttermilk over it and close. Toss to coat all of the chicken. Put the bag in a bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours to soak, turning the bag occasionally.

When you are ready to fry, fit a deep cast iron skillet or large Dutch oven with a thermometer. Pour in the oil about 1 ½ to 2’ deep. Over medium high heat, bring the oil up to 360 degrees. You want to try to keep the oil at 360 during frying process. It will drop as you put in the chicken but let it come back to 360 degrees before adding more.

Combine the 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and discard the buttermilk. Season the chicken liberally with the spice mixture on all sides.  

Put the flour plus 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a zip top bag. Take the chicken, one or two pieces at a time and put into the flour mixture. Shake well to coat. Lightly shake off excess. Put on the baking rack after you have coated each piece.

When the oil is up to temperature, use the tongs to carefully put the coated pieces of chicken into the hot oil. Do this in batches, taking care not to overcrowd or put too many pieces in the pan at one time. You will lower the oil temperature and the skin will not be crispy. Cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally until the chicken is deep golden brown and delicious. Remove one piece of chicken and check the temperature with a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the breast or thigh but away from the bone. Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F. Drain on a rack covered with a brown paper bag. You may want to hit the hot chicken with a little salt. That’s how my mom did it. Hope you like it as much as I love remembering those days standing by the stove while she cooked it.

Perfect Side: Simple Potato Pancake

As a kid, my mom used to make potato pancakes when we had leftover potatoes. I adore them- but they are not exactly easy to make for a big crowd since you need to cook them last minute. Here's a way you can serve a party sized potato pancake for brunch or as a side dish on those nights when you make breakfast for supper. Easy, crispy and versatile, this recipe will be one of your new go-to favorites. My mom used to heat up apple sauce and serve with our potato pancakes with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives. Mine has an Italian flair with rosemary and a drizzle of olive oil.

POTATO PANCAKE

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

2 large potatoes, grated

1 T. fresh thyme and rosemary, minced

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate the potato. Toss with the salt, pepper, and herbs. Work quickly so the potatoes do not turn brown. Use a non-stick pan or a cast iron skillet. Heat the olive oil and the butter in the pan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Press the potatoes into the pan and press down, using another pan or skillet. Let the potatoes cook without touching them so that a crispy crust forms. Take a peek after 10 minutes and if it has that gorgeous crust, go ahead and flip the potato cake.

The easiest way to flip the potato cake is to use a plate or another pan and slide it out, then flip it into the original pan. Cook until this side is browned- about 7-8 more minutes. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with more herbs if you like. I've even dusted the pancake with grated cheese and put it under the broiler to brown it just before serving. A dollop of sour cream is also delicious.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, PARTY IDEAS & FUN!

Recipes from Friends: Terri's Swiss Steak Recipe

My wonderful (and totally gorgeous) friend Terri MMy lovely, sweet friend from high school days, Terri, is a frequent contributor and advisor to Martie Knows Parties... after all, she's not only quite a cook, she has helped write a wonderful cookbook and has tons of fantastic recipes. Terri grew up in Alabama, but now lives with her husband and sons in the Cayman Islands. While we all wish she lived a little closer, Facebook makes it feel like she's just down the street. Here's a recipe Terri made for her "boys" for dinner last week. Swiss Steak served over fettuccine; she said they just devoured it. You can't beat that for a recipe endorsement! Try this one for family game night, Sunday night supper, or a quiet night at home when you need something warm and comforting. I thought it was easy and super delicious. It reminded me of my mom's version of Swiss Steak. Can't you just taste it? Comfort food at its best. Thank you for sharing, Terri! You are awesome!

Terri's Swiss Steak ... Yum! She said her family just devoured it- no leftovers!TERRI'S SWISS STEAK

¼ cup bacon drippings (MKP note: if you don't have bacon drippings, use an unflavored oil, like vegetable oil)

2 lbs. Sirloin tip beef (or beef tenderloin) cut into ½” thick bite-size pieces

2 to 3 cups button mushrooms (cleaned and sliced) 

1 large onion (chopped) 

4 fresh red tomatoes (cut into wedges)

2 tsp. dried leaf tarragon

½ tsp. each of salt and black pepper

1 tsp. Season All

½ cup white wine

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp. all purpose flour 

1. Season the beef with the salt, pepper and Season All; rub seasonings into the beef. (MKP note: I did this step by putting it in a large Zip-Lock to make it easy)

2. In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown the beef (in batches – not all at once) in hot bacon drippings, about 5 minutes on each side.

3.Remove beef, and set aside. 

4. Saute the onions in the bacon drippings until tender. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes and Tarragon; cook down about 5 minutes.

5. Add the meat to the skillet. Pour white wine over the beef; cover and simmer about two hours, until tender, stirring and adding more water when necessary. 

6. Remove the meat from the skillet; set aside.

7. In a small bowl, combine theflour with ¼ cup water; stir until flour is dissolved.  Pour into skillet, and use a wire whisk to blend into the drippings.  Stir until the sauce begins to thicken. As it thickens, slowly add water to the pan and stir until the desired consistency is reached. 

8. Return the meat to the pan and heat through.

9. Serve over hot fettuccine. Is also good over rice. (MKP note: I added a dollop of sour cream on top like my mom used to. Sooooo gooooood!)

Let me know if you'd like to submit a recipe and tell us why your crowd loves it. We'd love to hear from you!