Croque-madame

Croque-madame (from the French croquer, to crunch) is a classic French brunch dish. There are two versions of the sandwich: croque-madame and croque-monsieur. The madame is served with an egg on top — the fried egg resembles a lady's hat, which is where the name comes from.

Ingredients

For the béchamel

• milk — 250 ml
• butter — 30 g
• flour — 30 g
• nutmeg — a pinch
• salt — a pinch

Main

• sandwich bread — 2 slices
• ham — 2 slices
• cheese — 2 slices, plus grated cheese for the top
• Dijon mustard — 1 tbsp
• egg — 1

Method

1. Start with the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook it briefly until it smells faintly nutty.
2. Add the warm milk and whisk. The sauce should thicken. Take it off the heat and add the salt and nutmeg.
3. Put one slice of bread in a baking dish or on a tray. Spread it with mustard, layer on ham, cheese and ham, then cover with the second slice. Pour over plenty of sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 15–20 minutes.
5. Top the finished sandwich with a fried egg.