Le Croque-Madame

We recently began a unit on restaurant conversation in French class. As if the tantalizing promise of summer wasn't enough of a distraction, I now find myself daydreaming about eating warm croissants and breaking off pieces of fresh baguettes when I should be conjugating prendre in the past tense. One worksheet we were given for this unit had step by step illustrations of a recipe for a croque-monsieur.

The croque-monsieur, a french classic, is simply a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with melted cheese. On the handout each step was accompanied by a simple cartoon, beginning with two thick slices of bread, spreading on soft butter, topping with grated cheese, and finishing with the toasted sandwich - melted cheese falling slowly down the sides - being removed from the oven. Both my interest in french food and my hunger (French being my last class of the day) elevated this simple sandwich to gourmet status in my mind.

Upon further research I discovered the croque-madame - the monsieur's wife I suppose - an intriguing variation topped with an egg, sunny side up, and  cheesy, white sauce.

It ended up being that cheesy sauce mornay that gave me the most trouble. While cooking the sauce I got caught up in the thickening process, watching  as it became thicker and thicker, and lost sight of the consistency I wanted. I ended up letting it cook for too long leaving me with a sauce that was almost too thick to pour. Luckily there was some heavy cream left, so after a slight panic I was able to thin the sauce.

The finished sandwich was flavorful, incredibly rich, and of the must-be-eaten-with-a-knife-and-fork variety. It was very indulgent... and very French.

Croque-Madame

adapted from various sources including here and here

2-4 slices of ham, le jambon

4 slices of firm bread, le pain

4 slices of Gruyère cheese, le fromage

2 tablespoons butter, le beurre 

2 eggs, les oeuvres

1/2 cup Sauce Mornay (recipe below)

Fresh ground black pepper for garnish (optional), la poivre

Preheat oven to 250°F. Make two sandwiches each with one or two slices of ham and two slices of Gruyère cheese. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan  over medium heat and place both sandwiches in the saucepan. Once the bottoms are browned flip the sandwiches and cook until the second side is brown. Place the grilled sandwiches on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven for 2-4 minutes, just until the cheese has melted. Melt the other tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat, reduce heat to low and crack both eggs into the pan. Cover the saucepan with a lid, but make sure to check the doneness of the eggs often. Once the white of the egg is cooked remove from saucepan and place atop the sandwich. Drizzle desired amount of sauce over sandwich and serve immediately.

Sauce Mornay

adapted from Chef Thomas Keller

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup diced Spanish onion

Salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bay leaf

2 black peppercorns

2 whole cloves

Nutmeg

Ground white pepper

Scant 1/3 cup Gruyère cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat slightly and add the onion and a pinch of salt cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle in flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so the roux does not brown. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk and heavy cream and whisk until incorporated. Bring to a simmer, whisking, and add bay leaf, peppercorns, and cloves. Adjust heat to maintain simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, for 30 minutes. The sauce should have thickened but still be easy to pour; if it has thickened too much stir in heavy cream - a teaspoon at a time - until it reaches the right consistency.