Remember the scene from “Its Complicated” where Meryl Streep”s character makes Croque Madame for Steven Martin’s character in one of their dinner date. The plating looks so good and delicious, I have been looking for the recipe from the movie forever. It is one of my favorite food related movies and I have watched it several times(it’s on Amazon Prime btw). Croque Monsieur is a delicious French ham and cheese sandwich, made with gruyere, sometimes parmesan, ham, a simple béchamel sauce, and toasted in the oven. However my version is made with smoked salmon.
Walk on any street in Paris and stop at any decent bistro you will find Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame on the menu, the clićhe is real. Needless to say it is popular for a reason. This recipe was inspired by an idea I got in Maison Kayser in Mexico City where they also added a touch of chipotle to give it a Mexican flavor, it was so good. Unfortunately their U.S restaurants closed during lockdown.
Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame, what’s the difference?
Both sandwiches are~ ham and cheese sandwiches. Only croque madame is topped with a fried egg. Croque” French verb “croquer”, which means to bite or to crunch. Croque monsieur and Croque Madame translate to “mister” and “Madame (topped with Egg). To make a Croque Madame, follow the recipe as instructed, fry eggs (one for each sandwich, sunny-side up) in a separate skillet. Place an egg on top each sandwich.
How to make Croque Monsieur and Madame:
- Toast the bread slices in a hot oven until lightly toasty around the edges.
- Place thin slices of smoked salmon on the toasts.
- Spread béchamel on the toasted bread. spoon and spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce on each slice. (Béchamel, recipe follows)
- Bake. until bread is toasted and cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with fried egg for Madame Top the smoked salmon+ baked cheese sauce with a fried egg.
- Finish. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and more parmesan or gruyere if desired.
- Enjoy with fresh bistro style salad greens.
The Béchamel Sauce
- Melt butter: in a heavy saucepan.
- Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add milk: stirring until the mixture is smooth. gently cook stirring constantly until sauce has thickened.
- Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the mustard and nutmeg.
FAQs
- What’s a good cheese for Croque Madame: Emmental is traditionally used, however I found it a little hard to source Emmental in a regular grocery store. The other option that just as delicious if not better is Gruyere, which is my favorite.
- How long will the cheese sauce last: any remaining cheese sauce will stay good for 2-3 days fresh covered with a plastic wrap directly onto the surface and in the refrigerator. Use the leftover in pasta dishes, steamed or roasted vegetables, sandwich and wrap spread.
- Make the béchamel ahead of time. The béchamel can be made one day in advance to save time. Simply make the sauce and cool. Transfer to a covered container, cover with plastic wrap directly onto surface and chill in the fridge. Use within 3-4 days.
Croque Madame with Smoked Salmon
Ingredients
Béchamel sauce
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 2 tbsp a.p flour
- 1 cup milk, any fat % or thick oat milk will work
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- 1-2 fresh sprigs of thyme leaves
- ¼ leveled tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground chipotle optional
Remaining Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 8 slices thick grainy bread
- 4 fresh eggs
- 8-10 slices smoked salmon
- 1½ cups Gruyere cheese, grated
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Bistro style spring salad
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position. Brush or drizzle olive oil onto one side of each of the bread slices. Place the bread slices on a sheet pan. Bake until the bread is lightly golden brown and toasty.
- Place 2-3 slices of smoked salmon on each, and top each with 2-3 tbsp of grated cheese. Top with the remaining slices, press gently, and put it back in the oven until the cheese has just melted.
Fry or Poach the Eggs
- Cook the eggs the way you prefer. Best method would be sunny side up fried eggs or slightly runny poached eggs. Aim for one egg per sandwich.
Bechamel Sauce
- Make the béchamel sauce. Warm the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is combined and the butter begins to bubble, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Add the thyme and cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes more. Whisk in the mustard, salt, chipotle (if using) and nutmeg. Take the pain off the heat and discard thyme sprigs.
- Evenly spoon the béchamel sauce over the sandwiches, then top with the remaining cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 3 minutes. Top the sandwich with one fried egg.
- Garnish the sandwich with black pepper and chopped chives, if desired. And serve with bistro style spring salad.
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