Croque Madame

How to Make Croque Madame

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1. Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook 90 seconds without colouring.

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2. Add the milk a third at a time, whisking until smooth after each. Simmer 3 minutes until it thickly coats a spoon.

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3. Off the heat stir in the grated Gruyère, nutmeg, mustard and salt.

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4. Heat the grill. Butter the bread on one side only.

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5. Build two sandwiches, butter side out: bread, a spoonful of béchamel, ham, sliced Gruyère, bread.

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6. Toast them in a dry pan for 2 minutes a side until golden.

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7. Move to a tray, spoon the remaining béchamel thickly over the tops and grill 3 to 4 minutes until blistered and brown.

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8. Fry the eggs in a little butter over low heat while the sandwiches grill.

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9. Slide an egg onto each, grind pepper over and serve at once.

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Small Things That Help

• Make the béchamel thick. A thin one slides off and scorches on the tray.
• Toast the sandwich in the pan before it goes under the grill, or the base stays soft.
• The egg goes on afterwards, never underneath the grill.

What to Serve with Croque Madame

• A green salad with a sharp mustard dressing
• A glass of cold cider
• Cornichons

Keeping and Reheating

Eat immediately. The béchamel can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; loosen it with a splash of milk over low heat before using.

Croque Madame Nutrition

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.