Recipe: Smoked Salmon Croque-Monsieur

Smoked Salmon Croque-Monsieur

Serves 6

6 ounces Gruyère cheese
Twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices pullman bread (or good-quality white bread)
3/4 pound sliced smoked salmon
1 tablespoon Lemon Confit, cut into tiny dice
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Prep: 20 minutes—Cook: 5 minutes

Using a Japanese mandoline or a vegetable peeler, slice the Gruyère very thin. Lay the bread slices out on a work surface. Place the Gruyère on 6 slices and the smoked salmon on the other 6 slices. Sprinkle the salmon with the lemon confit and chives. Close the sandwiches. Cut off the crusts, using a serrated knife. (You can make the sandwiches up to this point 2 hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Spread the softened butter on both sides of the sandwiches. Heat two large nonstick sauté pans over medium-high heat. Add 3 sandwiches to each pan, Gruyère side down, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 1 minute longer. To serve, slice the sandwiches in half on the diagonal, then in half on the diagonal again (to make 4 triangles), and arrange the triangles on a plate.

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Recipe reprinted by permission.