Claires Croque Madame Recipes

CROQUE MADAME SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Make the bechamel sauce: In a small saucepan, melt 1 ounce butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until you smell the flour and butter cooking, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Add the milk and bay leaf and cook, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens like a soup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Parmesan. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Arrange 4 slices of the bread on a flat surface. Top each with 2 to 3 slices of ham. Mix together half of the Gruyere cheese and the bechamel sauce. Taste for seasoning. Spread a little of the sauce on top of the ham and top each with another slice of bread.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet and, when hot, add half of the remaining butter. Add 2 of the sandwiches and brown on one side, 2 minutes. Turn on the other side and brown 2 more minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches. Spread the remaining bechamel on top of the sandwiches and top with the other half of the Gruyere cheese.
• Wipe any crumbs from the cast iron skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet, leaving a little room between each. (Alternatively, fry 2 at a time). While the eggs are frying, place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the top becomes golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and top each sandwich with a fried egg. Serve immediately.

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Combine the 3 1/2 cups milk, parsley, peppercorns, chile flakes, nutmeg, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in another medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking to combine. Cook, whisking, until the mixture is doughy and smells a bit nutty, about 1 minute. Add the hot milk through a fine-mesh sieve about a half cup at a time, whisking to incorporate with the flour and butter mixture. The resulting bechamel should be smooth and velvety. If it's chunky or too thick, whisk in more milk to thin it out. Remove the bechamel from the heat and stir in half of the cheese.
• Spread the Dijon on the sourdough toasts and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Top each toast with 3 slices of the prosciutto and the remaining cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cup bechamel onto each toast and bake for 5 minutes. With the toasts still in the oven, switch the oven to broil and bake until the tops are bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Crack 1 egg into a cup then carefully add to the hot skillet (the cup helps control the egg). Season the egg with salt and pepper then spoon the butter and oil in the skillet over the egg until cooked to your liking. Top 1 toast with the fried egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs and serve immediately.

FRENCH ONION CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• For the onions: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Scatter the onions onto a rimmed baking sheet along with the garlic and thyme. Drizzle with the olive oil, brandy and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Cover tightly with foil and transfer to the oven for 2 hours.
• Remove the foil and stir in the vinegar. Return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until caramelized. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed, and set aside.
• For the sandwiches: Set your broiler to low and line a baking sheet with foil. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low, until steaming.
• For the mornay sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly add the milk. Add the salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and freshly grated nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1/4 cup of the Gruyère or Emmental.
• Lay half of the bread out on the prepared baking sheet and spread 1 teaspoon of Dijon over each slice. Top each with two slices of ham, if using, about 3 tablespoons caramelized onions and divide half of the cream sauce over top. Scatter about 2 tablespoons of the grated Gruyère or Emmental over each and sandwich with another piece of bread. Spread the remaining cream sauce over the tops of each sandwich and scatter over the remaining cheese.
• Broil the sandwiches for 4 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
• Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a little butter over medium-high heat until crisp around the edges, leaving the yolks runny.
• Top the sandwiches with the fried eggs, scattered with a few fresh thyme leaves and season with some extra salt and pepper.

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Place a small sauce pot over medium low heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter in it. Whisk in a rounded tablespoon of flour and cook 1 minute or so. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble then drop heat to low. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Dijon. When sauce coats back of a spoon, turn off heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets, both over medium low heat. When butter melts add 2 large eggs to the first skillet, keeping the whites separate from each other. To the second skillet add 2 slices bread and toast lightly on first side then turn the bread. Top turned bread liberally with sauce and 2 slices of the ham and the Swiss cheese on each slice of bread. Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the tops of the open faced sandwiches. Cover the pan with foil and turn off heat. Let pan stand 5 minutes to melt cheese and set sauce and eggs.
• Top sandwiches with chopped herb or herbs of choice and serve. Spoon any leftover sauce over top of the eggs before garnishing.