Croque Madame

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Introducing the queen of all sandwiches, the Croque Madame. This decadent French sandwich is rich, golden and oozing with flavour.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1 10

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Sandwich

Cuisine: French

Servings:

Preheat: Preheat the oven to120°C / 250°F
Peel garlic: Peel the garlic by breaking the cloves away and placing them into a heatproof bowl. Submerge in boiling hot water for 5 minutes and drain. The skin will become loose and easy to peel away.
Bake: Place the garlic cloves into an ovenproof dish and fully submerge in olive oil. It's important the garlic is fully submerged in the olive oil so it does not burn.Bake for 1 - 2 hours or until the garlic has become golden and is soft to touch.

Make roux: In a large frypan on a medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is foaming, add the garlic confit and flour and whisk together until a roux or thick paste forms.
Add milk: One third at a time, pour in the milk and whisk through until the roux is incorporated, lump free and the sauce is smooth and glossy. Continue to whisk for 2 – 3 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
Season: Season the bechamel with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the Gruyere cheese and whisk through until fully incorporated.

Assemble one sandwich: Spread a layer of Dijon mustard over one slice bread. Spread one tablespoon of the bechamel sauce to evenly cover the bread. Layer the ham on top, grate one quarter of the cheese and follow with another layer of ham. Spread the Dijon mustard on the other side of the bread and top onto the sandwich.
Toast: In a large fry pan on medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is foaming, add the sandwich to the pan and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Remove the sandwich from the pan and place onto a baking tray. Spread 1 tablespoon of bechamel on the top of the sandwich and grate over more Gruyere cheese.
Fry egg: In the same pan, crack the egg into the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
Broil / grill: Place the sandwich under the grill for 3 – 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Serve: Remove the sandwich from the grill and place the egg on top. Finish off with a sprinkling of fresh chives.

Toast the bread after assembling – Lightly toasting your bread in butter first keeps it from going soggy and adds a beautiful golden crust.

Infuse the béchamel with garlic – While this isn't traditional, it will add a beautiful depth and flavour to your béchamel.

Grate the cheese yourself – Pre-grated cheese often has anti-caking agents that stop it from melting properly.

Layer the cheese on both sides of the ham – This gives you that signature melty pull in every bite

Don’t skip grilling it – After assembling, grill it for a few minutes to melt the cheese and let everything bubble together before topping with the egg