mushroom tartines

Would this be a good place to admit that I only moderately enjoy sandwiches? I know, what kind of monster says such things! But, wait, come back. What I mean is, it’s the proportions: too much bread, too little filling. The obvious solution would be Dagwoods or sandwiches from one of those Jewish delis that are taller than your glass of Cel-Ray, but what if you didn’t want to have to unhinge your jaw just to take a bite?

My solution, as ever, is to serve them open-faced, piled high and with ideal proportions. If we were in Paris — and oh, I wish I were — we’d call them tartines. My brain is clearly already there because I modeled this “toast” on a croque monsieur (which I just learned, to my delight, translates as “gentleman crunch”), those cheese-coated, pan-fried ham and cheese sandwiches with frico for miles. I’m partial to the forestier-style croque at Buvette, where mushrooms take the place of ham and there’s a thick, Dijon-rich bechamel underneath (where a cold sandwich might enlist mayo or aioli). My open-faced version uses a whole-grain sourdough bread as a foundation and so much cheese on top that it spills down onto the baking sheet and lifts off in crispy flakes. I honestly don’t know why we’d ever want to eat anything else.

Previously

One year ago: Spring Chicken Salad Toasts
Two years ago: Baked Chickpeas with Pita Chips and Yogurt and Carrot-Graham Layer Cake
Three years ago: Wholegrain Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Four years ago: Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Feta and Tahini
Five years ago: Raspberry Coconut Macaroons
Six years ago: Spaetzle
Seven years ago: Romesco Potatoes and Hazelnut Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Eight years ago: Beef Empanadas and Bialys
Nine years ago: Caramel Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake and Chicken with Almonds and Green Olives
Ten years ago: Rich Buttermilk Waffles

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Garlic Wine and Butter Steamed Clams and Baked Alaska
1.5 Years Ago: The Perfect Manhattan and Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2.5 Years Ago: Latke Waffles
3.5 Years Ago: Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl
4.5 Years Ago: Crackly Banana Bread

We’ve made this for dinner twice in the last month and have found it each time surprisingly substantial, especially with a salad on the side.

A few notes: If your bread is on the softer side, you might want to lightly pre-toast it before adding the other ingredients. However, if it’s already quite sturdy or has a dark crust, as mine did, it’s not needed.
This makes an exactly-just-right amount of bechamel (3/4 cup), I use about 1 tablespoon per slice. If you’d like more, it can easily be scaled up with 3 tablespoons each butter and flour and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, and a heaped tablespoon of Dijon.

Sauce

2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (175 ml) milk, ideally whole but lowfat should work
A few gratings fresh nutmeg
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon (15 grams) smooth Dijon mustard

Mushrooms

1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) fresh mushrooms (cremini, white or a mix of wild all work), thinly sliced
Olive oil and butter as needed
2 teaspoons minced mixed fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage
Salt and black pepper to taste

Assembly

1 pound loaf of a hearty white or whole wheat sourdough bread, in 3/4-inch slices
8 ounces (225 grams) coarsely grated gruyere or comte
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Make the sauce: In a large skillet (so you can use it again for the mushrooms), melt butter over medium heat and then stir in flour until a paste forms. Very slowly drizzle in milk, whisking the whole time to keep the mixture smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until mixture has simmered for a couple minutes. It will be thick and get thicker as it cools; this makes for a better spread. Scrape into a bowl and stir in Dijon. Adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.

Heat oven: To 425 degrees F. Line your largest baking sheet with foil.

Cook the mushrooms: Wipe out skillet and heat over medium-high. Add a glug of olive oil or a mix of olive oil and butter. Once it is very hot, add 1/3 to 1/2 of mushrooms, 1/3 to 1/2 of herbs and let sear in pan until brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, before stirring and continuing to cook until tender and any liquid in the pan has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.

Assemble and bake: Spread bread in one layer on prepared baking sheet. Schmear each all the way to the edges with sauce; you should have exactly enough for a thin coat on each. Heap each slice with mushrooms; use them all. Sprinkle cheese over and since the mushrooms are heaped so high, you’ll probably have to press it in a bit with your hand. You’ll be glad you got all the cheese on there.

Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted all over, then transfer to the broiler and cook until tops are browned, a few minutes more (but keep an eye on it because broilers vary wildly and mine is rather weak).

To serve: Scatter with parsley and eat with a knife and fork, preferably with a big green salad on the side.

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Previously