Recipe: Croque Madam
Croque Madam
I am a lover of sandwiches. Whether it is the humble and simple grilled cheese or the New Orleans specialty Muffuletta, or the classic American club, or an Italian Panini. I love sandwiches. But my favorite sandwich may be the French version of a ham and cheese: The Croque Monsieur turned into a Croque Madam because everything is better with a runny egg on it.
The trick to this great sandwich is bread able to with stand a spread of Mornay on it. And, so, it goes without saying that making a great Mornay sauce is the key to making a great Croque Monsieur or Madam.
The traditional Mornay sauce is a variation on the mother sauce béchamel: a cream / milk sauce thickened with roux. Mornay alters that by adding traditionally gruyere cheese. My version goes a little more complex flavor profile. Taking my favorite flavors from my favorite cheese fondue recipe and merging them with the Mornay sauce.
The richness of this dish must be cut with something, so a simple salad with champagne vinegar and olive oil accompanies the cheesy and salty delicacy.
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons good white wine
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup grated pepper jack
- ¼ cup gorgonzola
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Worchester sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce of choice
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 slices of good bread (I used a hearty multigrain bread)
- 3 slices of good ham
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 egg
- Handful of lettuce tossed with olive oil and champagne vinegar and salt
To make Mornay sauce:
First of all, this should be done the day before you want to eat a sandwich: hey, don’t blame me, blame the French. They love long recipes.
Start by bringing the 2 cups of milk to a scald in a sauce pot, add the crushed garlic cloves as well. While that is happening, begin melting the butter in a different sauce pan. Once melted add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. It really should be a wooden spoon. Continue to cook over medium heat until the flour is cooked through and no longer raw. You can tell because it should resemble a pale paste. At this point you want to deglaze with the white wine and switch to a whisk. Whisk the white wine in, stirring continuously. The paste will absorb the wine and thicken it into another paste. At this point strain the milk into the sauce pan with the roux SLOWLY and whisk while pouring it in. At this point, you cannot leave the sauce. Whisk over medium heat until it begins to boil and at that point it is thickened. Reduce the heat to low. Slowly begin adding in the grated gruyere and pepper jack continuing to whisk. You want to slowly melt the cheese in. If you dump it in, it will form a solid lump. After those two cheeses are added, add in the gorgonzola and finish with the parmesan. Then, add in the nutmeg, the hot sauce, the Worchester sauce, and mustard, whisking. At this point, it must be cooled. As it cools, it will continue to thicken. Once cold, place in a container and refrigerate for the next day.
About an hour before you want to make your sandwich, pull the Monray sauce out of the refrigerator and let come to room temp. After that, take two pieces of bread and using a butter knife spread the Mornay sauce on both sides of each piece of bread. This is going to act as the butter. Then place the slices of ham in the center and press the sandwiches together (some people weight them and put them in the fridge for another day… the French and their recipes). At this point, put a skillet on the stove and turn the heat on high. Place the sandwich into the pan and press down on it with a spatula. You want to sear the cheese as quickly as possible. When it is seared, flip and repeat on the other side.
Once both sides are seared, remove the sandwich and place on a lined cookie sheet (easier for cleaning) and spread a little more Mornay on top. Then place under the broiler.
While that is broiling, place a skillet on the stove and turn on heat to high. Add oil and then crack and drop an egg in. Once the egg is brown on the edges, place a lid on top and take off heat, allowing the yolk to barely cook.
Remove sandwich from the oven when caramelized and top with the egg. Serve with salad. Should be eaten immediately.
