Bonjour, Croque Madame!
Up your lunch, brunch or dinner game with a decadent Croque Madame sandwich. Crunchy sourdough, oozy cheese sauce and salty ham, all topped with a fried egg.
15 minutes
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 50g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 180ml milk
- 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
- A handful of gruyere cheese, grated
- Nutmeg (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices of sourdough
- Olive oil
- A 150g selection of your favourite cheese grated (cheddar, gruyere, comte, mozzarella.)
- 8 slices of ham
- 4 Free Range Ethical Eggs
Method
- Place a saucepan on a low heat, add the butter and allow to melt.
- Stir in the flour and keep stirring until it is bubbling.
- Stir in the milk a little at a time and keep stirring until the sauce is smooth and coats the back of the spoon.
- When it’s ready, stir in the mustard, cheese and a good grating of nutmeg. Turn off the heat and place the pan to one side.
- Pre-heat the grill to medium.
- Arrange the slices of bread on to a large baking tray. You may need to do this in batches.
- Toast the bread on both sides, then repeat with the remaining bread.
- To build your sandwiches, spread four slices of toast with sauce, top with a slice of ham and a sprinkling of cheese.
- Top with another slice of ham and a little more cheese.
- Top with another piece of toast, spoon over a little sauce and place back on the baking tray.
- Place the sandwiches back under the grill until the sauce is golden and bubbling. Fry the eggs to your liking.
- When the sandwiches are ready, top each with a fried egg and sprinkling of black pepper. Serve with grilled cherry tomatoes and salad if you fancy it.
