Georgina Hayden's Simple and Fast Method for Croques with Leek and Comté

Although I adore a classic croque monsieur, I do occasionally like to change things by incorporating various cheeses and adding other flavorings – I basically live life on the edge. This version with leeks feels comfortingly autumnal, and a bit special, too. If I have friends coming over, I'll prepare the leek and sauce mixture in advance, then assemble the croques just before cooking and serve them with a bitter leaf salad.

Croques with Leeks and Comté

Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

2 leeks (approximately 300 grams), trimmed and finely sliced
Two garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
60 grams of unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering
Salt and pepper
60 grams of all-purpose flour
300 milliliters of whole milk
1 heaped tsp English mustard
100g comté, finely grated
60g mature cheddar, finely grated
Eight slices of bread

Put the sliced leeks, butter and garlic in a medium pot on a medium-low heat, add seasoning generously, then saute, mixing now and then, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks have softened and turned sticky.

At the same time, preheat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9. Mix in the flour into the leek mixture and cook for about a minute, until it becomes a biscuity roux. Add the milk, increase the temperature a little and stir vigorously until the sauce is creamy. Continue mixing for a minute, until the sauce thickens, then take off the heat. Whisk in the mustard and two-thirds of the shredded cheeses, and put to one side.

Brown the bread slices (in rounds if necessary), then spread butter on one side of each slice. Lay four slices of toast butter-side down on a parchment-covered tray. Coat each slice with a liberal portion of the leek sauce, then top with a second slice of toast, this time butter-side up. Complete each croque with a layer of the leftover leek sauce, then sprinkle with the rest of the shredded cheese. Cook in the oven for 10-14 minutes, until the croques are golden, sizzling and melty.

Serve straight away, with a dressed salad on the side, if you like.