French Croque Madame: Griddled Ham and Gruyere Sandwich with Bechamel and Fried Egg

Make the bechamel: melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute without browning.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 slices thick-cut brioche or country white bread
• 8 oz thinly sliced good-quality ham
• 6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for frying eggs
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the bechamel: melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute without browning.
2. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and simmer, whisking constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the Dijon, nutmeg, a third of the Gruyere, and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
3. Heat the oven broiler to high and set a rack about 6 inches below it.
4. Spread a thin layer of bechamel on 4 slices of bread, layer on the ham and half of the remaining Gruyere, then close with the second slices of bread.
5. Griddle the sandwiches in a buttered skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
6. Transfer the sandwiches to a sheet pan, spoon the remaining bechamel generously over the tops, scatter with the rest of the Gruyere, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until bubbling and spotted brown.
7. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in butter over medium heat until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
8. Top each sandwich with a fried egg, season with pepper, scatter with chives, and serve immediately with a simple green salad.
9. The croque madame is the crowning glory of the Parisian cafe breakfast — a croque monsieur 'madame-ed' with a fried egg said to resemble a lady's hat. Born in the brasseries of early 1900s Paris as a workman's quick hot lunch, it has become the ultimate cold-weather comfort griddle: crisp buttered bread, molten Gruyere, silky bechamel and a golden yolk that turns the whole plate into its own sauce. It is proof that the French can elevate even a ham and cheese sandwich into something worth lingering over.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 620 kcal
• Protein: 34g
• Fat: 36g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 1240mg