The Croque Fondue
Ingredients
For the onion and shallot compote
- 20 g butter
- 250 g chopped onion
- 130 g grated shallot
- 9 g minced garlic
- 3 g fresh thyme (branch)
- 50 g dry white wine
- 100 g chicken stock
For the sauce
- 70 g mayonnaise
- 30 g Greek yoghurt
- 4 g chopped garlic
For the nuts
- A few nuts
- A little butter
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sweet paprika powder
- Pinch of Espelette pepper
For the salad mixture
- 1/3 iceberg lettuce
- 1/3 lamb's lettuce
- 1/3 rocket
- A few finely diced pickles
- A few cubes of smoked bacon
- A few nuts (see above)
- Dill picks
- A few small flowers
- Walnut oil
- A dash of cider and maple vinegar
Build your croque
- Two slices of multigrain bread
- Beaten butter
- One clove of garlic cut in half
- 2 thin slices of Gruyère d'Alpage PDO
- 2 thin slices of cooked Durbuy ham
- A few finely diced pickles
- A few slices of Tomme Fleurette cheese
- A few cubes of fried smoked bacon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
For the onion and shallot compote
- Fry the onion, garlic and shallot in the foaming butter, add the thyme, salt and pepper, then pour in the white wine and chicken stock.
- Let it boil until it becomes a compote.
- Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool.
For the sauce
Whisk the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt and garlic together in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce fresh.
For the nuts
- Lightly sauté the walnuts in the beurre noisette, remove from the heat, add a pinch of salt, a pinch of sweet paprika and a pinch of piment d'Espelette.
- Mix well and remove from heat.
- Drain on paper towels and keep dry.
For the salad mixture
- Mix the iceberg lettuce, lamb's lettuce and rocket in a salad bowl, season with walnut oil, cider and maple vinegar, salt and ground pepper.
- Mix well and divide the mixture into small bowls and garnish with the pickle brunoise, fried bacon bits, a few walnuts, dill pickles and some flowers.
Build your croque
Rub the slices of bread with the halved garlic, spread some butter and place on top a compote of onions and shallots, a brunoise of pickles and cubes of fried bacon. Cover with a slice of Alpine cheese PDO, a slice of cooked ham and the Tomme Fleurette cheese (on one side). Sprinkle the Tomme Fleurette with a little ground pepper, close the whole, press it well and keep it in a cool place in greaseproof paper.
Preparation of the plate
Heat the panini maker to 220°C, place a sheet of baking paper on the grill, place the panini in the panini maker and cover it with a sheet of baking paper. Leave to cook and after half the cooking time, turn the panini a quarter turn. Continue to cook until the cheese starts to run slightly. Remove the panini from the panini maker, cut in half and serve.
Recipe: Lionel Rigolet & Viki Geunes
Picture: Vivi Pham Photography