A food content creator has shared a creative twist on the classic croque monsieur, swapping ham for smoked salmon to create a 'croque lox' that he describes as 'absolutely delicious'. The recipe has gone viral on TikTok, amassing over 55,700 views, 4,246 likes, and 65 comments.
From French Classic to Jewish-Inspired Fusion
TikTok creator Ben Rebuck, known for adding Jewish-influenced spins to popular dishes, transformed the conventional croque monsieur by replacing ham with smoked salmon and a zesty cream cheese schmear. In a video from April, he explained: 'This is what happens when a bagel order meets a French café and zero flying f's are given. But all jokes aside, this slaps so hard.'
Ben insists that salmon is a superior replacement for the smoky ham. To enhance the flavour, he prepared a New York-style cream cheese schmear as the base. The sandwich is then topped with a Hollandaise-béchamel sauce combination for a gooey, sharp finish.
Viral Success and Rave Reviews
Ben's footage has already accumulated over 55,700 views, together with 4,246 likes and 65 comments. Lexi commented: 'Smoked salmon is absolutely the right replacement for ham.' Another user wrote, 'Absolutely tremendous, can I take two,' while Rosa agreed, 'This looks absolutely delicious.' Teddy added: 'Bro that bread is next level.'
Ben described the taste: 'To say this works is an understatement. It was sweet, salty, creamy, fatty. It truly had everything.'
How to Make Croque Lox at Home
If you're seeking an inventive twist on your next midday cheese toastie, here's the method to replicate Ben's recipe. The ingredients include four thick slices of challah, 150–200g smoked salmon (lox), butter for frying, and for the schmear mix: 150g cream cheese, half a small red onion finely diced, one tablespoon fresh dill chopped, one tablespoon fresh chives chopped, zest of half a lemon, one teaspoon lemon juice, and black pepper. For the Hollandaise béchamel: 25g butter, 25g plain flour, 250ml milk, one egg yolk, juice of half a lemon, one teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt and black pepper.
Method: Mix the cream cheese with red onion, dill, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice and black pepper; set aside. Melt butter in a pan, add flour and cook for one to two minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and slightly loose. Take off the heat, then whisk in the egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper; keep warm. Assemble the sandwich: spread the schmear liberally onto the challah, layer with smoked salmon, and close the sandwich. Butter the exterior of the bread and fry on a medium heat until golden and crisp on both sides. Spoon over the warm schmollandaise and allow it to drip slightly. Grate your preferred cheese and place under the grill to finish. Optional: additional dill, a squeeze of lemon, and black pepper. Serve and savour.
