Claires Croque Madame Food

CROQUE MADAME HOT DISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with butter.
• Spread the bread on a large baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until dry and very lightly toasted.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until a paste forms and it starts to bubble, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer over medium-low heat until thickened and no floury taste remains, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Arrange half the toast in the baking dish and spread half the remaining sauce on top. Scatter half the ham and cheese on the coated bread. Repeat the layering one more time with the remaining bread, sauce, ham and cheese.
• Bake the hot dish for 15 minutes, until hot and the cheese has melted. One at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl, then slide them onto the hot dish so that the whites spread a little and the yolks sit in little divots; use the back of a spoon to make divots if the arrangement of your bread doesn't naturally make them. Bake the hot dish for 12 to 15 minutes more, until the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny. Serve hot, sprinkled with more salt and pepper.

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Place a small sauce pot over medium low heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter in it. Whisk in a rounded tablespoon of flour and cook 1 minute or so. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble then drop heat to low. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Dijon. When sauce coats back of a spoon, turn off heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in each of 2 medium nonstick skillets, both over medium low heat. When butter melts add 2 large eggs to the first skillet, keeping the whites separate from each other. To the second skillet add 2 slices bread and toast lightly on first side then turn the bread. Top turned bread liberally with sauce and 2 slices of the ham and the Swiss cheese on each slice of bread. Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to the tops of the open faced sandwiches. Cover the pan with foil and turn off heat. Let pan stand 5 minutes to melt cheese and set sauce and eggs.
• Top sandwiches with chopped herb or herbs of choice and serve. Spoon any leftover sauce over top of the eggs before garnishing.

CROQUE MADAME SANDWICH

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

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Combine the 3 1/2 cups milk, parsley, peppercorns, chile flakes, nutmeg, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in another medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking to combine. Cook, whisking, until the mixture is doughy and smells a bit nutty, about 1 minute. Add the hot milk through a fine-mesh sieve about a half cup at a time, whisking to incorporate with the flour and butter mixture. The resulting bechamel should be smooth and velvety. If it's chunky or too thick, whisk in more milk to thin it out. Remove the bechamel from the heat and stir in half of the cheese.
• Spread the Dijon on the sourdough toasts and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Top each toast with 3 slices of the prosciutto and the remaining cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cup bechamel onto each toast and bake for 5 minutes. With the toasts still in the oven, switch the oven to broil and bake until the tops are bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Crack 1 egg into a cup then carefully add to the hot skillet (the cup helps control the egg). Season the egg with salt and pepper then spoon the butter and oil in the skillet over the egg until cooked to your liking. Top 1 toast with the fried egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs and serve immediately.

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Assemble the sandwiches on a baking sheet by spreading 6 slices of bread with a scant amount of Dijon mustard. (If you like more Dijon flavor, add more; I like it to be subtle.) Top with the desired amount of ham and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Stir in the flour, creating a roux, and cook for about 4 minutes. Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the nutmeg and 1 cup of Gruyere, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the sandwiches. Top the sandwiches with equal amounts of the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 8 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until the sandwiches are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 2 minutes (watch closely!). Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve.

CROQUE MADEMOISELLE

Steps:

• Chop the chocolate into small bits and set aside.
• Mix together the mascarpone and almond extract and set aside.
• Cut the panettone or brioche into 16 equal slices discarding the ends. Remove the crust squaring the slices off as much as possible. Lay 8 slices of brioche out on the work surface. Spread the mascarpone mixture on the slices, then sprinkle over the chocolate bits. Cover with the remaining slices of brioche to create sandwiches. You may wrap the sandwiches up in plastic film and refrigerate for a few hours or proceed with recipe.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream. Set aside. Whip the remaining cup of heavy cream into stiff peaks, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture to saturate the bread allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Transfer to the skillet. Dip and add only as many sandwiches as fit into the skillet in 1 layer. Saute gently until the bottom is golden, about 3 minutes. With a spatula turn the sandwiches and continue to saute until the second side is golden and the chocolate in the center has melted. Transfer the sandwiches to a warm platter as they are done. Add more butter to the skillet and continue to dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture and saute them until all the sandwiches are cooked.
• Serve the sandwiches on individual dessert plates and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

CROQUE MADAME

Steps:

• Heat a frying pan on a medium heat and put oven on low. Put the ham and cheese between the bread slices and press to seal, then spread half the butter on the outside of the sandwich on both sides.
• Fry in the pan, pressing down with a fish slice, for 1-2 mins until golden then flip and cook the other side. Keep warm in the oven. Melt remaining butter in the pan and fry egg for 1-2 mins until cooked. Top the croque with the egg and serve with salad.