Makes 2
Ingredients
- 250ml whole milk
- 30g unsalted butter, plus a knob extra
- 30g plain flour
- 1 heaped tsp of Dijon mustard
- 175g mature cheddar cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 4 slices of thick-cut free range or organic ham
- 1 Tbls of olive oil
- 1 small knob of butter
- 2 eggs
- A sprig of rosemary (optional)
Method
Place a medium saucepan over a medium. Add the butter and when it’s bubbling away add the flour. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Pour in two thirds of the milk, turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. whisk well then, as it starts to thicken, add the rest of the milk, whisking all the time. Use a Before long it’ll be nice and thick and bubbling away.
Add the mustard, 100g of the cheddar cheese and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well and set aside.
Toast the bread under a hot grill. Spoon a third of the rich cheese sauce over the tops of two slices of the toast. Divide the ham between the two, and then spoon over a little more sauce. Arrange the top tier toast slices before spreading generously with the remaining sauce. Scatter over the last of the cheddar cheese and pop the croque madame’s under the grill. Meanwhile, set a small frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter and when it’s bubbling away crack in your eggs. Chuck in your rosemary sprig if using and season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper. Baste the eggs with the hot bubbling butter, or flip them if you prefer. When the sandwiches are golden and bubbling on top remove them from under the grill. Lift the fried eggs out of the pan and set them on top of each sandwich.
Enjoy your Croque madame.
