from Feenie’s
Everyone loves a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, so I decided to take it a step further by adding Mornay sauce with lots of cheese, then topping it off with a perfect fried egg. This is one of my favourites to eat on trips to France and at French bistros here in North America.
Ingredients
Sauce:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 ½ cups milk, heated to boiling
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ cup grated Emmental cheese
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
Croque Madame:
4 slices sourdough bread (each 1-inch thick)
3 Tbsp butter
8 slices ham
4 eggs
Directions
Mornay sauce: Melt butter in a heavy saucepan on low heat. Stirring constantly, add flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes, until foamy or frothy but not brown. Remove from the stove, then vigorously whisk in heated milk until mixture is smooth. Stir in nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high, then return sauce to the stove and boil for about 1 minute. Remove from the stove and stir in Emmental and Gruyere until well incorporated.
Croque Madame: Preheat oven to 300F. Place sourdough slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes.
Use 2 Tbsp of the butter to butter the toasted bread, then place a slice on each of four warmed plates. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of the Mornay sauce over each slice of toast, then top each with 2 slices of ham.
Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add eggs and fry for about 4 minutes, or until whites are no longer transparent.
To serve: Place a fried egg on top of each open-faced sandwich and drizzle with more Mornay sauce to taste.
Serves 4
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: I like to add a splash of hot sauce to the Mornay and sprinkle some paprika over the egg. I’ve also added salsa to the ham and sprinkled cilantro on the egg for a Mexican flare. Comfort food at its best!
Contents and images used with permission by Douglas & McIntyre. https://douglas-mcintyre.com/collections/cookbook/products/9781553651352
