Croque Madame

A Croque Madame is a variation on the Croque Monsieur, with an egg on top. This is an easy, quick and delicious brunch dish.

Method

1. Make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually add the milk, which until smooth and the sauce starts to thicken.
2. Continue cooking the sauce until very thick, remove from the stove, grate in the nutmeg and stir in the grated cheeses, seasonings and Dijon mustard.
3. To assemble the sandwich, spread each slice of bread with the béchamel sauce along with 1 slice of ham on each slice. Add 30g of grated Gruyere for each sandwich and top with another slice of bread.
4. Place butter in the pan, allow it to melt before toasting the sandwiches on both sides until light golden.
5. Spread a thin layer of béchamel onto the top of the toasted sandwich along with 15g of Gruyere, place in the oven at 200ºC/ 180ºC/ gas mark 4, until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
6. While that is baking in the oven, fry the eggs to place on top when the toasted sandwich is done.