Croque Monsieur with Va Va Voom!
One of my all time favourite snacks, basically a much gooeyer, much cheesier, cheese and ham toastie with a fancy name.
What makes this dish special is the cheesy bechamel sauce that the toastie is smothered in.
At The Ingredients Consultancy we are lucky enough to work with Jeneil, a market leading manufacturer of Naturally Fermented Concentrated Cheese and Dairy pastes and powders.
Jeneil's unique range of premium fermented pastes and powders offers the user:
Intensive, authentic, true flavour profile
Reduced formulation costs
High flavour concentration = low dosage
Free of flavour enhancers and synthetic flavours
No preservatives
High heat stability
Clean Label Declaration
Potential to reduce the fat content of finished product without compromising on flavour
I wanted to see how the benefits of Jeneil's products could add a further depth to this classic snack.
RECIPE
Bechamel Cheese Sauce
50g Butter
50g Plain flour
500ml Milk
14g Jeneil CHG - 5044
METHOD
Melt the butter in a pan and then add in the flour making a roux
Slowly add the milk, mixing continuously until all incorporated. Continue to cook out for a couple of minutes
Add the Jeneil cheese paste and mix in thoroughly
BUILD
Place a tablespoon of the cheese sauce onto a slice of bread and spread evenly
Layer a couple of slices of smoked ham on top
Add another table spoon of the cheese sauce and spread evenly
4. Top with another slice of bread
5. In a frying pan heat up some butter and begin toasting each side of the sandwich until golden brown
6. Place onto a baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes to ensure fully heated throughout.
7. *Optional* before placing in the oven, top with more of the cheese sauce and a light sprinkle of grated cheddar.
The additional depth given by the Jeneil paste in this dish was a pleasant surprise.
I achieved an 8% reduction in cheese content with ZERO loss in flavour depth of this highly indulgent dish, but obviously offering the consumer and manufacturer benefits off less cheese! therefore less cost and less calories!
NaturallyThe Fermented products from Jeneil can be used across many applications, offering a multitude of benefits to manufacturers and consumers alike.
If you would like to learn more about Jeneil and how The Ingredients Consultancy can help you in your developments please do get in touch!