Croque Madame

Ingredients

For the sandwich:

  • 2 slices bread
  • 2 ounces deli ham (french is recommended)
  • 1 1/3 cup grated gruyere cheese, divided
  • 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste

For the Bechamel (3 - 4 sandwiches):

  • 3 tablespoons 45 g all purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons 70 g unsalted butter
  • 2 cups 512 g warmed milk
  • optionally you can add a bay leaf to the warm milk before adding it to the bechamel
  • scant 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh grated is ideal)

For the bechamel: warm the milk (stop before boiling, possibly add bay leaf and nutmeg). Heat the butter in a separate pot. Add flour to butter and whisk. Cook a few minutes. Add milk in batches whisking. Simmer for a few minutes.

Spread mustard on each slice of bread. Grate cheese on the bottom slice, top with ham. Grate more cheese on top. Top with other slice, press slightly. Cook in a pan with butter, both sides. Place in sheet tray. Pour bechamel, grate more cheese. Broil until ready.

Fry egg. Put egg on top of sandwich.

References

Source

Note

Tried this with weird pancetta sticks and caramelized onions instead of ham, and poached instead of fried egg. Topped with chopped parsley and fermented lemon peel. Would be better with some vegetable to make it lighter, maybe grilled eggplant.

Section author: Carlo