Croque Madame: Baked Ham, Cheese and Egg Toast
·Toast the bread and grate the cheese
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the slices of toasting bread on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and toast on both sides until golden. Meanwhile, grate the Gruyère.
Start the béchamel
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the plain flour and whisk continuously until you get a pale roux with no raw flour taste (about 2–3 minutes).
Make the creamy béchamel sauce
Whisking constantly, gradually pour in the cold milk to avoid lumps. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens into a smooth, creamy consistency (about 5–7 minutes).
Season the béchamel
Take the finished béchamel off the heat and season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
Layer the toasts
Spread the bottom slice of toasted bread generously with the béchamel sauce. Top with slices of good-quality ham and sprinkle over some of the grated cheese.
Finish the toasts
Lightly spread one side of the top toast slice with Dijon mustard and the other side with béchamel sauce. Place it béchamel-side down onto the ham and cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake until golden
Place the assembled toasts on a baking tray and put them in the preheated oven. Bake until the cheese has melted and turned golden (about 5–10 minutes).
Fry the perfect egg
While the toasts finish baking, melt a little butter or oil in a frying pan. Carefully crack in the egg and fry over low heat until the white has set but the yolk stays lovely and runny. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve your croque madame
Take the hot baked toasts out of the oven and carefully top each one with a freshly fried egg. Garnish with a little fresh parsley, if you like.