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Cooking
Croque Madame: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich with a Fried Egg
· 2 servings
Toast the bread and grate the cheese
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the slices of toasting bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast both sides until golden. Meanwhile, grate the Gruyère.
Start the béchamel base
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
Gradually pour in the cold milk while whisking constantly 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 toasted slice generously with the béchamel sauce. Top with slices of good-quality ham and sprinkle over some of the grated cheese.
Finish assembling the toasts
Lightly spread one side of the top toast slice with Dijon mustard and the other side with béchamel. Place it béchamel-side down onto the ham and cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake until golden
Place the assembled toasts on a baking sheet and put them in the preheated oven. Bake until the cheese has melted and turned golden (about 5-10 minutes).
Fry the perfect sunny-side-up egg
While the toasts finish baking, heat 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 with the egg
Take the hot baked toasts out of the oven and carefully top each one with a freshly fried sunny-side-up egg. Garnish with a little fresh parsley, if you like.