lunch

Croque Madame

Name: Croque Madame
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 4 slices good white bread (pain de mie or brioche); 4 slices ham (Parisian or Black Forest); 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese; 2 large eggs; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for frying; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup whole milk; Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

The croque madame is a croque monsieur with a fried egg on top, and the egg is not decorative. The base is ham on white bread, assembled with béchamel inside and more béchamel over the top, then loaded with Gruyère and run under the broiler until the cheese is blistered and the sauce is bubbling. The egg, fried sunny-side up in butter with the yolk left completely intact, goes on at the last moment. When the dish is eaten, the yolk breaks into the béchamel and forms a secondary sauce that is richer and more unctuous than either the yolk or the béchamel alone. This is not an accident of assembly. It is the functional difference between a croque monsieur and a croque madame. The egg must be cooked in a separate pan while the sandwich is under the broiler so both finish simultaneously. A cold or overcooked yolk defeats the purpose. The hat reference in the name comes from the silhouette the egg makes on top.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 15 min Total: 30 min Serves: 2

Ingredients

4 slices good white bread (pain de mie or brioche)
4 slices ham (Parisian or Black Forest)
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for frying
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the béchamel: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
Preheat your broiler. Lay the bread slices on a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of béchamel on each slice. On two slices, layer ham and half the Gruyère. Top with the remaining bread, béchamel-side down.
Spread more béchamel over the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère.
Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Watch carefully — it goes from perfect to burnt in seconds.
While the sandwiches broil, fry the eggs in butter over medium heat until the whites are set and the edges are crispy, about 2 minutes.
Place a fried egg on top of each sandwich. Serve immediately. Knife and fork required.

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