French
Croque Madame
A crisp ham-and-Gruyère sandwich wears bronzed béchamel and a sunny egg with a fully set white and fluid yolk.
4 servings · 25 minutes prep · 25 minutes cook
Ingredients
Béchamel
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Sandwiches
- 8 slices pain de mie
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 8 oz French ham
- 10 oz grated Gruyère, divided
- 3 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
Make the béchamel
- Melt butter, whisk in all purpose flour, and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in whole milk and simmer until smooth and spoon-coating, 4-5 minutes. Season with nutmeg and kosher salt.
Toast and broil
- Butter both sides of pain de mie or firm white sandwich bread lightly with butter and toast in a skillet until pale gold. Spread inner faces with dijon mustard; fill with french ham and two-thirds gruyere cheese.
- Heat sandwiches through in the skillet, transfer to a sheet pan, spread tops with béchamel and remaining cheese, and broil until bubbling and spotted brown, 2-4 minutes.
Fry the defining egg
- Fry egg over medium-low until whites are fully set and yolks remain fluid, 3-4 minutes. Season with black pepper, place one egg on each sandwich, and serve immediately.
