**Indulge in a Classic Croque-Madame: A Culinary Journey through Parisian Delicacies**
Originating from the bustling cafés of Paris, the croque-madame is a culinary masterpiece that combines two beloved French dishes: the croque-monsieur and the egg. This article presents a comprehensive guide to creating this iconic sandwich, featuring three distinct recipes that cater to various preferences. Embark on a delightful culinary journey as we delve into the art of crafting the perfect croque-madame, exploring its rich history and diverse variations.
**Recipes Included:**
1. **Traditional Croque-Madame:** This classic recipe stays true to the original, featuring a combination of Gruyère and Emmental cheeses, sliced ham, and a perfectly fried egg.
2. **Croque-Madame with Béchamel Sauce:** Experience a creamy twist on the classic with this recipe, which incorporates a velvety béchamel sauce for an extra layer of richness and flavor.
3. **Croque-Madame with Mornay Sauce:** Elevate your croque-madame with the addition of Mornay sauce, a luxurious blend of Gruyère cheese and béchamel, resulting in a decadent and indulgent sandwich.
Get ready to savor the exquisite flavors of the croque-madame, a dish that embodies the essence of French cuisine. Let's begin our culinary adventure!
CROQUE MADAME SANDWICH
Provided by Alex Guarnaschelli
Time 30m
Yield 4 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler.
- Make the bechamel sauce: In a small saucepan, melt 1 ounce butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until you smell the flour and butter cooking, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow it to brown. Add the milk and bay leaf and cook, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens like a soup, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Parmesan. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Arrange 4 slices of the bread on a flat surface. Top each with 2 to 3 slices of ham. Mix together half of the Gruyere cheese and the bechamel sauce. Taste for seasoning. Spread a little of the sauce on top of the ham and top each with another slice of bread.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet and, when hot, add half of the remaining butter. Add 2 of the sandwiches and brown on one side, 2 minutes. Turn on the other side and brown 2 more minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining butter and sandwiches. Spread the remaining bechamel on top of the sandwiches and top with the other half of the Gruyere cheese.
- Wipe any crumbs from the cast iron skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet, leaving a little room between each. (Alternatively, fry 2 at a time). While the eggs are frying, place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the top becomes golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the eggs with salt and top each sandwich with a fried egg. Serve immediately.
CROQUE MADAME SANDWICH
This is a great French-inspired sandwich you can find in any French restaurant. Once you try this, it will be hard to have "just" a ham and cheese sandwich again. Don't cheat and use Swiss cheese, this deserves the real thing!
Provided by C R Henning
Categories Main Dish Recipes Sandwich Recipes
Time 40m
Yield 2
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
- Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and stir until slightly brown, about 3 minutes. Whisk in milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce heat immediately and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 of the Gruyere cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; heat until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon butter on 2 pieces of bread. Spread 1 tablespoon cheese sauce on top and layer each with a ham slice. Spread 1 teaspoon butter on the remaining 2 pieces of bread, then spread Dijon mustard on top and sprinkle with remaining Gruyere. Transfer all 4 pieces to a baking sheet.
- Broil in the preheated oven until cheese is almost melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven, place toast slices together to make 2 sandwiches and pour remaining cheese sauce on top of each sandwich. Return to the broiler until sauce starts to brown, about 2 minutes.
- While the sandwiches are broiling, heat remaining butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crack 2 eggs into the skillet, keeping them completely separate from one another. Season with salt and pepper. Add water, cover, and baste until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.
- Top each sandwich with an egg and sprinkle with dill. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 639.1 calories, Carbohydrate 37.3 g, Cholesterol 293.6 mg, Fat 43.2 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 25.3 g, SaturatedFat 24.1 g, Sodium 1264.1 mg, Sugar 8.4 g
CLASSIC CROQUE MADAME
This popular sandwich is packed with flavor! It's a great recipe to make for lunch but also for dinner. VIDEO https://youtu.be/uJu9yjU-h5Q
Provided by CLUBFOODY
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 25m
Yield 2 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter. When melted, add flour and whisk for a few minutes to cook out the raw taste.
- Add 2 tablespoons cold milk, and whisk constantly until the mixture gets thick. Add 1 tablespoons cold milk at a time, whisking between each addition. Continue adding milk until the consistency of the sauce gets creamy but not too thin so it's spreadable.
- Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap making sure it touches the surface to prevent skin formation and chill for at least 20 minutes.
- SANDWICHES:.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC and cover a baking sheet with foil; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine grated Gruyère, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper; stir until cheese has absorbed the milk and set aside.
- Spread a thin layer of chilled béchamel on two slices. Spread Dijon mustard on the other two. Place 3 slices of ham on the sauce before spreading on half of the cheese mixture. Cover with the other two slices, mustard side down and then press gently.
- Spread the remaining béchamel sauce on top of those 2 slices. Add the remaining cheese and place the sandwiches on the prepared baking sheet.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- About 5 minutes before time is up, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When melted and it starts sizzling, crack the eggs; season with salt and pepper.
- After 2 minutes when the whites are almost set, cover and cook for just 30 seconds.
- Place one cooked egg on each sandwich and serve immediately with a salad.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 910.4, Fat 63.5, SaturatedFat 36, Cholesterol 366.6, Sodium 1358.6, Carbohydrate 37.2, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 2.9, Protein 47.6
CROQUE-MADAME
My son and I love having a croque-madame (a fried egg atop our grilled ham and cheese) for lunch. If eggs aren't your favorite, you can make the sandwich without it (which makes it a croque-monsieur). -Carolyn Turner, Reno, Nevada
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Breakfast Brunch Lunch
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Place half of the cheese on 8 bread slices; top with ham and remaining bread. Spread outsides of sandwiches with softened butter., On a griddle, toast sandwiches over medium heat 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Spread tops with mayonnaise; top with remaining cheese. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet; bake 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted., Meanwhile, for eggs, heat 1 tablespoon butter on griddle over medium-high heat. Break 4 eggs, 1 at a time, onto griddle. Reduce heat to low. Cook to desired doneness, turning after whites are set if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place eggs over sandwiches. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 758 calories, Fat 47g fat (24g saturated fat), Cholesterol 344mg cholesterol, Sodium 1691mg sodium, Carbohydrate 40g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 46g protein.
CROQUE-MADAME
This is a variation of Amanda Hesser's croque-monsieur, a ham and Gruyere sandwich topped with béchamel. Here, we invite you to pop a fried egg on top. Voila! A croque-madame (reportedly named such because the egg resembles a lady's wide-brimmed hat).
Provided by The New York Times
Categories dinner, lunch, quick, sandwiches, main course
Time 20m
Yield 2 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat a two-sided electric griddle on medium-high to high for about 20 minutes, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees and preheat a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bechamel sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. When bubbles have subsided, add flour and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, and cook until thick. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
- Spread two slices of bread generously with sauce. Lay two slices of ham on top of each, and top each with a slice of cheese; ham and cheese should slightly overlap edges of bread. Top each with a slice of bread.
- In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a skillet with little butter. Slide one fried egg onto each sandwich. Serve hot.
CROQUE-MADAME
Categories Cheese Egg Breakfast Brunch Broil Fry Quick & Easy Dinner Lunch Ham Gourmet Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Make sauce:
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper.
- Make sandwiches:
- Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce evenly over each of 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese (1/4 cup per slice). Spread mustard evenly on remaining 4 bread slices and top with ham, dividing it evenly, then invert onto cheese-topped bread to form sandwiches.
- Lightly oil a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook sandwiches, turning over once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat and transfer sandwiches to baking pan, then wipe out skillet with paper towels.
- Preheat broiler.
- Top each sandwich with 1/3 cup sauce, spreading evenly. Broil sandwiches 4 to 5 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off broiler and transfer pan to lower third of oven to keep sandwiches warm.
- Heat remaining tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry eggs, covered, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.
CROQUE MADAME
This recipe is a favorite in my family! I take a French class and I bring these little sandwiches to the French meeting. This typical French delectable is always on the menu in little French cafes.
Provided by Jennifer James
Categories 100+ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Eggs Breakfast Sandwich Recipes
Time 15m
Yield 1
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the cheese once it is melted. Dip each slice of bread into the melted cheese, coating both sides.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place one slice of bread into the skillet and top with 2 slices of ham. Place the second piece of bread on top. Fry until golden on each side, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Fry the egg in the hot skillet to your liking: easy, medium, or well done. Place the fried egg on top of the sandwich and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 888.8 calories, Carbohydrate 32.5 g, Cholesterol 361.4 mg, Fat 64.2 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 45.3 g, SaturatedFat 38.4 g, Sodium 1417 mg, Sugar 3.7 g
CROQUE MADAME
This classic ham sandwich from France is drizzled with bechamel sauce and topped with fried eggs.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
Yield Makes 2 sandwiches
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler with the rack in the top position. In small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Whisk in flour and cook until lightly golden. Add milk and salt and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir into the sauce the nutmeg and half the cheese.
- Lay the slices of bread on a baking sheet. Divide the Dijon between 2 slices and top with ham. Divide half of the bechamel between the remaining 2 bread slices and top with remaining cheese. Close the sandwiches.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook both sides until bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes.
- Return sandwiches to the baking sheet, top with remaining bechamel, and place under the broiler until bubbly, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in the same skillet over high heat. Fry eggs, sunny side up, for about 2 minutes. Top sandwiches with fried egg, season with black pepper, and serve immediately.
Tips:
- Use a good quality bread for your croque madame. A sturdy bread, such as sourdough or French bread, will hold up well to the filling and the cooking process.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of cheese. Gruyère is a classic choice, but you can also use other cheeses that melt well, such as cheddar, fontina, or mozzarella.
- Make sure your béchamel sauce is smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, it will be difficult to spread on the bread. If it's too thin, it won't hold its shape when you cook it.
- Use fresh eggs for your fried egg. This will ensure that the egg is cooked evenly and has a rich, golden yolk.
- Serve your croque madame immediately after it's cooked. This will ensure that the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted and gooey.
Conclusion:
The croque madame is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With its combination of crispy bread, melted cheese, creamy béchamel sauce, and fried egg, it's sure to please everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, give the croque madame a try!
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