Aligot croque monsieur

Begin by preparing the aligot. Place the diced potatoes into a pot of cold, salted water and bring up to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender – this should take around 15 minutes

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, then mash them until smooth 

Over a low heat, gradually add the butter to the potatoes whilst stirring

Warm the milk in a separate pan and gradually add it into the potato mix, stirring until fully incorporated 

Stir in the grated mozzarella and Gruyère cheese. Keep stirring until the mix is smooth, elastic and stretchy. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Next, prepare the béchamel sauce. In a small saucepan melt down the butter over a medium heat before adding in the flour and stirring to form a roux

Gradually whisk in the milk, making sure there are no lumps

Cook the sauce over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon

Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper then set aside

Next, preheat the oven to 180°C fan

Lightly toast the bread on either side until golden, then spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on both of the slices

Spread a generous layer of the aligot over the mustard, then place a slice of ham over the top before covering with another slice of toasted bread

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over each of the sandwiches, then sprinkle Gruyère directly over the béchamel

Bake each of the sandwiches on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for around 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and melted