Ham & mushroom croque madame

‘Croque Madame’ essentially translates to ‘Mrs Crunch’. When cooked correctly this sublime sarnie should be crisp on the outside then give way to the molten velvet loveliness of béchamel, ham and mushroom. The perfect thing to crawl out of bed for on a Saturday morning.

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 slices of sourdough bread
2 tbsp unsalted butter
8 thick slices of ham
300g gruyère cheese, shredded
2 tsp oil
4 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the béchamel:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp plain flour
300ml whole milk
1 tbsp dijon mustard
50g parmesan, finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the mushrooms:

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
½ tsp thyme leaves
400g mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

For the béchamel, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Gradually pour in the milk, stirring to combine, until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Stir in the mustard and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a bowl to cool.

For the filling, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.

Add the thyme and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are caramelised, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the grill to high and the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

Spread the bread with butter on one side and arrange, buttered-side up, on a baking tray. Grill the bread until just golden brown, then let cool.

When cooled, spread the untoasted side of 4 slices of bread with some of the béchamel sauce. Top each with two slices of ham, some of the mushroom mixture and top with half of the gruyère cheese.

Top with the remaining slices of bread, toasted-side up, then add a final layer of béchamel and gruyère cheese. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a low-medium heat. Crack in the eggs, leaving a little space in between, season with salt and pepper and fry until the tops of the whites are set but the yolks are still a little runny.

Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.

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